S"eTHREE  BROTHERS 


JL-^ X-*r  JL-</' i ^     A^  A  I.  JL  M.^ Slj I,    \.- 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS 


THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

NEW  YORK    •    BOSTON   •    CHICAGO 
ATLANTA   •    SAN   FRANCISCO 

MACMILLAN  &  CO.,  Limited 

LONDON  •  BOMBAY  •  CALCUTTA 
MELBOURNE 

THE  MACMILLAN  CO.  OF  CANADA,  Ltd. 

TORONTO 


THE 


THREE    BROTHERS 


BY 


EDEN   PHILLPOTTS 

AUTHOR    OF    "THE    SECRET    WOMAN,"     "THE    AMERICAN 
PRISONER,"     "CHILDREN    OF    THE    MIST,"    ETC. 


THE    MACMILLAN    COMPANY 
1909 

jill  rights  reserved 


Copyright,  1909, 
By  the  MACMILLAN  COMPANY. 


Set  up  and  electrotyped.     Published  January,  1909. 


Norivood  Press 

J.  S.   Cusbing  Co.  —  Berivick  &  Smith  Co. 

Norivood,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


LIBRARY 

iJMVERSITY  OF  CALIFOI 
6ANXA  BARBARA 


TO 
MY    BROTHER 

HERBERT   MACDONALD    PHILLPOTTS 

A    SMALL    TRIBUTE    OF 
GREAT    AFFECTION 


Book  I 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS 

BOOK    I 

CHAPTER   I 

FROM  Great  Trowlesworthy's  crown  of  rosy' granite 
the  world  extended  to  the  moor-edge,  and  thence, 
by  mighty,  dim,  air-drenched  passages  of  earth 
and  sky,  to  the  horizons  of  the  sea.  A  clear  May  noon 
illuminated  the  waste,  and  Dartmoor,  soaking  her  fill  of 
sunshine,  ran  over  with  it,  so  that  Devon's  self  spread 
little  darker  of  bosom  than  the  grey  and  silver  of  high 
clouds  Hfted  above  her,  mountainous  under  the  sun. 

Hills  and  plains  were  still  mottled  with  the  winter  coat 
of  the  heather,  and  the  verdure  of  the  spearing  grasses 
suffered  diminution  under  a  far-flung  pallor  of  dead 
blades  above  breaking  green;  but  the  face  of  Dartmoor 
began  to  glow  and  the  spring  gorse  leapt  like  a  running 
flame  along  it.  At  water's  brink  was  starry  silver  of  crow- 
foot, and  the  heath,  still  darkling,  sheltered  sky-blue  milk- 
wort and  violet  and  the  budding  gold  of  the  tormentil. 

One  white  road  ran  due  north-east  and  south-west 
across  the  desert,  and  round  about  it,  like  the  tents  of 
the  Anakim,  rose  huge  snowy  hillocks  and  ridges  silver- 
bright  in  the  sun.  Here  the  venerable  Archasan  granites 
of  Dartmoor,  that  on  Trowlesworthy  blush  to  a  ruddy 
splendour,  and  elsewhere  break  beautifully  in  fair  colour 
and  fine  grain  through  the  coarser  porphyritic  stone,  suffer 
a  change,  and  out  of  their  perishing  constituents  emerges 
kaolin,  or  china  clay. 

A  river  met  this  naked  road,  and  at  their  junction  the 

3 


4  THE    THREE    BROTHERS 

grey  bridge  of  Cadworthy  saddled  Plym.  Beyond,  like 
the  hogged  back  of  a  brown  bear,  Wigford  Down  rolled 
above  the  gorges  of  Dewerstone,  and  further  yet,  re- 
treated fields  and  forests,  great  uplifted  plains,  and  sud- 
den elevations  that  glimmered  along  their  crests  with  the 
tender  green  of  distant  larch  and  beech. 

The  atmosphere  was  opalescent,  milky,  sweet,  as 
though  earth's  sap,  leaping  to  the  last  tree-tip  and 
bursting  bud,  exuded  upon  air  the  very  visible  incense 
and  savour  of  life.  Running  water  and  lifting  lark 
made  the  music  of  this  hour ;  and  at  one  spot  on  the 
desert  a  girl's  voice  mingled  with  them  and  enlarged 
the  melody,  for  it  was  gentle  and  musical  and  belonged 
to  the  springtime. 

She  sat  high  on  Trowlesworthy,  where  the  rushes 
chatter  and  where,  to  their  eternal  treble,  the  wind  strikes 
deep  organ  music  from  the  forehead  of  the  tor.  From 
the  clefts  of  the  rocks  around  her,  where  foxes  homed 
sometimes  and  the  hawk  made  her  nest,  there  hung  now 
russet  tassels  and  tufts  of  dead  lady-fern ;  and  above 
this  rack  of  the  old  year  sprang  dark  green  aigrettes 
of  the  new. 

Stonecrops  and  pennyworts  also  flourished  amid  the 
uncurling  fronds ;  aloft,  the  heath  and  whortle  made 
curls  for  the  great  tor's  brow ;  below,  to  the  girl's  feet, 
there  sloped  up  boulders  that  shone  with  fabric  of  golden- 
brown  mosses  and  dappled  lichens,  jade-green  and  grey. 
The  woodsorrel  had  climbed  hither,  and  its  frail  bells 
and  sparkling  trefoils  glittered  on  the  earth. 

The  sun  shone  with  a  thready  lustre  over  the  miUion 
flattened  dead  rushes  roundabout  this  place,  and  its  light 
spread  out  upon  them  into  a  pool  of  pale  gold.  Thus  a 
radiance  as  of  water  extended  here  and  the  wind,  fretting 
all  this  death,  heightened  the  deception  ;  while  the  scat- 
tered rocks  shone  brilliantly  against  so  much  reflected 
light  and  looked  like  boulders  half  submerged  at  the 
fringe  of  a  glittering  sea. 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  5 

The  girl  laughed  andgazed  down  at  her  home.  It  was 
a  squat  grey  building  half-way  between  the  red  tor  and 
the  distant  bridge.  It  stood  amid  bright  green  crofts, 
and  beside  it  was  a  seemly  hayrick  and  an  unseemly 
patch  of  rufous  light  that  stared  —  hideous  as  a  blood- 
shot eye  —  from  the  harmonious  textures  of  the  waste. 
There  a  shippen  under  an  iron  roof  sank  to  rusty 
dissolution. 

Here  was  Trowles worthy  Farm  and  a  great  rabbit 
warren  that  extended  round  about  it. 

Milly  Luscombelived  at  Trowlesworthy  with  an  uncle 
and  aunt.  She  was  accustomed  to  work  very  hard  for 
her  living,  but  for  the  moment  she  did  not  work.  She 
only  breathed  the  breath  of  spring  and  talked  of  love. 

Beside  her  sat  a  sturdy  youth  with  a  red  face  and  a 
little  budding  flaxen  moustache.  His  countenance  was 
not  cast  in  a  cheerful  mould.  Indeed,  he  frowned  and 
gazed  gloomily  out  of  large  grey  eyes  at  the  valley 
beneath  him. 

"  I  axed  father  in  plain  words  if  I  might  be  tokened 
to  you  —  of  course,  that  was  if  you  said  *  yes  '  —  and 
he  answered  as  plainly  that  I  might  not.  You  see,  he 
was  terrible  up  in  years  afore  he  got  married  himself, 
and  so  he  thinks  a  man's  a  fool  to  go  into  it  young." 

"  How  old  was  he  then  ?  " 

"  Forty-five  to  the  day.  And  he's  seventy  next 
month,  though  he  don't  feel  or  look  anything  like  so 
much.  He's  full  of  old,  stale  sayings  about  marrying 
in  haste  and  repenting  at  leisure :  and  such  like.  So 
there  it  is,  Milly." 

The  girl  nodded.  She  was  a  dark  maiden  with  brown 
eyes  and  a  pretty  mouth.  She  snifi^ed  rather  tearfully 
and  wiped  her  eyes  with  the  corner  of  her  sun-bonnet. 

"  Belike  your  father  only  waited  so  long  because  the 
right  one  didn't  come.  When  he  found  your  mother, 
I'm  sure  he  married  her  quick  enough." 


6  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

"  No,  he  didn't.  They  was  tokened  when  he  was 
forty,  and  kept  company  for  five  years." 

"  That  ban't  loving,"  she  said. 

"  Of  course  it  ban't!  And  yet  father  Isn't  what  you 
might  call  a  hard  man.  Far  from  it,  to  all  but  me.  A 
big-hearted,  kindly  creature  and  a  good  father,  if  he 
could  only  understand  more.  Like  a  boy  in  some 
things.  I'm  sure  I  feel  a  lot  older  than  him  some- 
times. If  'twas  Ned  now,  he'd  be  friendly  and  easy 
as  you  please." 

"  What  does  Mrs.  BaskervUle  say  ?  " 

"  She's  on  our  side,  and  so's  my  sisters.  Polly  and 
May  think  the  world  of  you.  'TIsn't  as  if  I  was  like 
my  brother  Ned  —  a  lazy  chap  that  hates  the  sight  of 
work.  I  stand  to  work  same  as  father  himself,  and  he 
knows  that ;  and  when  there's  anything  calling  to  be 
done,  'tis  always,  '  Where  be  Rupert  to  ? '  But  lazy 
as  Ned  is,  he'd  let  him  marry  to-morrow." 

"  Mr.  Baskerville's  frighted  of  losing  you  from 
Cadworthy,  Rupert." 

The  young  man  looked  out  where  a  wood  rose  south 
of  the  bridge,  and  his  father's  farm  lifted  its  black 
chimneys  above  the  trees. 

"  He  tells  me  I'm  his  right  hand;  and  yet  refuses, 
though  this  is  the  first  thing  that  ever  I've  asked  him," 
he  said. 

"  Wouldn't  he  suffer  It  If  you  promised  him  to  do 
as  he  done,  and  not  marry  for  five  years  ^ " 

"  I'll  promise  no  such  thing.  Father  seems  to  think 
'tis  all  moonshine,  but  I  shall  have  another  go  at  him 
when  he  comes  home  next  week.  Till  then  I  shan't 
see  you  no  more,  for  I've  promised  myself  to  get  through 
a  mighty  pile  of  work — just  to  astonish  him." 

"  The  harder  you  work,  the  more  he'll  want  you  to 
bide  at  home,"  she  said.  "  Not  that  I  mind  you 
working.     All  the  best  sort  work  —  I  know  that." 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  7 

"I  must  work  —  no  credit  to  me.  I'm  like  father 
there.  I  ban't  comfortable  if  I  don't  get  through  a 
good  lump  of  work  in  the  day." 

She  looked  at  him  with  large  admiration. 

"Where's  Mr.  Baskerville  gone  to,''" 

"  To  Bideford  for  the  wrestlin'  matches.  He  always 
stands  stickler  when  there's  a  big  wrestlin'.  Such  a 
famous  man  he  was  at  it  —  champion  of  Devon  for 
nine  years.  He  retired  after  he  was  married.  But 
now,  just  on  his  seventieth  birthday,  he's  as  clever 
as  any  of  'em.  'Twas  his  great  trouble,  I  do  be- 
lieve, that  neither  me  nor  Ned  ever  shaped  well  at  it. 
But  we  haven't  got  his  weight.  We  take  after  my 
mother's  people  and  be  light  built  men  —  compared  to 
father." 

"Pity  May  weren't  a  boy,"  said  Milly.  "She's 
got  weight  enough." 

"  Yes,"  he  admitted.  "  She's  the  very  daps  of 
father.  She'll  be  a  whacker  when  she  grows  up.  'Tis  a 
nuisance  for  a  woman  being  made  so  terrible  beamy. 
But  there  'tis  —  and  a  happier  creature  never  had  to 
walk  slow  up  a  hill." 

Silence  fell  for  a  while  between  them. 

"  We  must  wait  and  hope,"  she  declared  at  last.  "I 
shan't  change,  Rupert — you  know  that." 

"  Right  well  I  know  it,  and  more  shan't  I." 

"You're  just  turned  twenty-three  and  I'm  eigh- 
teen.    After  all,  we've  got  plenty  of  time,"  said  Milly. 

"  I  hope  so.  But  that's  no  reason  why  for  we  should 
waste  it.     'Tis  all  wasted  till  I  get  you." 

She  put  her  hand  out  to  him,  and  he  caught  it  and 
held  it. 

"  It  might  be  a  long  sight  worse,"  she  said.  "  'Tis 
only  a  matter  of  patience." 

"  There's  no  need  for  patience,  and  there  lies  the 
cruelty.     However,  I'll  push  him  hard  when  becomes 


8  THE    THREE    BROTHERS 

home.  Tokened  I  will  be  to  'e  —  not  in  secret,  but 
afore  the  nation." 

"  Look  !  "  she  said.  "  Two  men  riding  up  over. 
Go  a  bit  further  off,  there's   a  dear." 

Rupert  looked  where  she  pointed,  and  then  he 
showed   no   little   astonishment  and   concern. 

"  Good  Lord  !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  If  tisn't  my  Uncle 
Humphrey  Baskerville ;  and  Mark  along  with  him. 
What  the  mischief  sent  them  here,  of  all  ways  ?  Can't 
we  hide  ?  " 

But  no  hiding-place  offered.  Therefore  the  young 
people  rose  and  walked  boldly  forward. 

"  He's  going  out  to  Hen  Tor  to  look  at  they  ruins, 
I  reckon,"  said  Milly.  "  I  met  your  cousin  Mark  a 
bit  ago,  and  he  told  me  his  father  was  rather  interested 
in  that  old  rogues-roost  of  a  place  they  call  Hen  Tor 
House.  Why  for  I  can't  say;  but  that's  where  they 
be  riding,  I  doubt." 

Two  men  on  ponies  arrived  as  she  spoke,  and  drew 
up  beside  the  lovers. 

The  elder  exhibited  a  cast  of  countenance  somewhat 
remarkable.  He  was  a  thin,  under-sized  man  with 
grey  hair.  His  narrow,  clean-shorn  face  sloped  wedge- 
shaped  to  a  pointed  chin,  and  his  mouth  was  lipless 
and  very  hard.  Grotesquely  large  black  eyebrows 
darkened  his  forehead,  but  they  marked  no  arch. 
They  were  set  in  two  patches  or  tufts,  and  moved 
freely  up  and  down  over  a  pair  of  rather  dim  grey  eyes. 
The  appearance  of  dimness,  however,  was  not  real, 
for  Humphrey  Baskerville  possessed  good  sight.  He 
was  sixty-three  years  old,  and  a  widower.  He  passed 
for  a  harsh,  secretive  man,  and  lived  two  miles  from 
his  elder  brother,  Vivian  Baskerville,  of  Cadworthy. 
His  household  consisted  of  himself,  his  son  Mark,  and 
his  housekeeper. 

"  Good  morning.  Uncle  Humphrey,"  said   Rupert, 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  9 

taking  the  bull  by  the  horns.  "You  know  Milly 
Luscombe,  don't  you  ?     Morning,  Mark." 

Mr.  Baskerville's  black  tufts  went  up  and  his  slit  of 
a  mouth  elongated. 

"  What's  this  then  ?  "  he  asked.  "  Fooling  up  here 
with  a  girl  —  you?  I  hope  you're  not  taking  after 
your  good-for-nothing  brother  ?  " 

"  Needn't  fear  that,  uncle." 

"  How's  Mr.  Luscombe  ? "  asked  the  old  man 
abruptly,  turning  to  the  girl. 

Milly  feared  nobody  —  not  even  this  much-feared 
and  mysterious  person  —  and  now  she  turned  to  him 
and  patted  his  old  pony's  neck  as  she  answered  — 

"Very  well,  thank  you,  Mr.  Baskerville,  and  I'm 
sure  he'd  hope  you  are  the  same." 

The  tufts  came  down  and  he  looked  closely  at  her. 

"  You  playing  truant  too  —  eh  ?  Well,  why  not  ? 
'Tis  too  fine  a  day  for  work,  perhaps." 

"  So  it  is,  then.  Even  your  old  blind  pony  knows 
that." 

"  Only  blind  the  near  side,"  he  answered.  "  He 
can  see  more  with  one  eye  than  many  humans  can  with 
both." 

"  What's  his  name,  please  ? " 

"  I  don't  know.     Never  gave  him  one." 

They  walked  a  little  way  forward,  while  Rupert 
stopped  behind  and  spoke  to  his  cousin  Mark. 

"  So  you  like  that  boy  very  much  —  eh?  "  said  the 
old  man  drily  and  suddenly  to  Milly. 

She  coloured  up  and  nodded. 

"  Nonsense  and  foolery  !  " 

"If 'tis,  I  wouldn't  exchange  it  for  your  sense,  Mr. 
Baskerville." 

He  made  a  deep  grunt,  like  a  bear. 

"  That's  the  pert  way  childer  speak  to  the  old  folk 
now  —  is  it?  " 


lo  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

"  Even  you  was  in  love  once  ?  " 

"  Nonsense  and  foolery  —  nonsense  and  foolery  ! " 

"  Would  you  do  different  if  you  could  go  back  ? " 

He  did  not  answer  the  question. 

"  I  doubt  you're  too  good  for  Rupert  Baskerville," 
he  said. 

"  He's  too  good  for  me." 

"He  stands  to  work  —  I  grant  that.  But  he's 
young,  and  he's  foolish,  like  all  young  things.  Think 
better  of  it.  Keep  away  from  the  young  men.  Work 
—  work  —  work  your  fingers  to  the  bone.  That's 
the  only  wise  way.  I'm  going  to  look  at  yonder  ruin 
on  the  side  of  Hen  Tor.  1  may  build  it  up  again  and 
live  there  and  die  there." 

"  What!     Leave  Hawk  House,  Mr.  Baskerville  ?  " 

"Why  not?  'Tis  too  much  in  the  world  forme 
and  Mark." 

"  'Tis  the  loneliest  house  in  these  parts." 

"  Too  much  in  the  world,"  he  repeated. 

"  That's  nonsense  and  foolery,  if  you  like,"  she  said 
calmly  ;  "  I'm  sure  love-making  be  all  plain  common- 
sense  compared  to  that." 

He  pulled  up  and  regarded  her  with  a  grim  stare. 

"  I've  found  somebody  to-day  that  isn't  afraid  of 
me,  seemingly." 

"  Why  for  should  I  be  ?  " 

"  For  no  reason,  except  that  most  others  are.  What 
do  they  all  think  ?  I'll  tell  you  ;  they  think  I'm  wrong 
here." 

He  tilted  up  his  black  wide-awake  hat  and  tapped 
his  forehead. 

"  Surely  never !  The  folk  only  be  frightened  of 
your  great  wittiness  —  so  I  believe.  Rupert  always 
says  that  you  are  terrible  clever." 

"  That  shows  he's  a  terrible  fool.  Don't  you  mate 
with  a  fool,  Milly." 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  ii 

"  I'll  promise  that  anyway,  sir." 
.  She  spoke  with  perfect  self-possession  and  interested 
the  old  man.      Then  he  found  that  he  was  interested, 
and  turned  upon   himself  impatiently  and  shouted  to 
his  son. 

"  Come  on,  boy !  What  are  you  dawdling  there 
for?" 

Mark  instantly  dug  his  heels  into  his  pony  and 
followed  his  father.  He  was  a  youthful  edition  of  the 
elder,  with  a  difference.  Humphrey  was  ill-clad,  and 
Mark  was  neat.  Humphrey's  voice  was  harsh  and 
disagreeable ;  Mark's  was  soft  and  almost  womanly. 
Mark  also  had  a  smooth  face  and  heavy  eyebrows ; 
but  his  features  were  clearer  cut,  more  delicate ;  his 
eyes  were  blue  and  beautiful.  He  had  a  manner 
somewhat  timid  and  retiring.  He  was  not  a  cringing 
man,  but  a  native  deference  guided  him  in  all  dealings 
with  his  kind. 

Before  starting,  Mr.  Baskerville  stopped,  drew  a 
letter  from  his  pocket,  and  called  to  Rupert. 

"  Take  this  to  my  brother  Vivian,  will  you  ?  I  was 
going  to  leave  it  on  the  way  back,  but  I'll  not  waste 
his  time." 

The  youth  came  forward  and  took  the  letter. 

"Father's  away  to  Bideford  —  standing  stickler  for 
the  wrestlin',"  he  said. 

"  Good  God  !  At  his  age  !  Can't  an  old  man  of 
seventy  find  nothing  better  and  wiser  to  do  than  run 
after  childish  things  like  that  ?  " 

The  son  was  silent,  and  his  uncle,  with  a  snort  of 
deep  disdain,  rode  forward. 

"  'Tis  about  the  birthday,"  Rupert  explained  to 
Milly.  "  In  June  father  will  turn  seventy,  and  there 
is  to  be  a  rare  fuss  made,  and  a  spread,  and  all  the 
family  to  come  round  him  at  Cadworthy.  Of  course, 
Unele  Nat  will  come.     In  fact,  'twas  his  idea  that  we 


12  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

should  have  a  celebration  about  it ;  but  I  doubt  if 
Uncle  Humphrey  will.  He'd  think  such  a  thing  all 
rubbish,  no  doubt,  for  he's  against  every  sort  of  merry- 
making. You  see  how  he  went  just  now  when  I  told 
him  father  was  gone  to  the  wrestlin'  matches." 

"  Don't  you  mind  him  too  much,  all  the  same," 
said  Milly.  "  He  looks  terrible  grim  and  says  dread- 
ful things,  but  I  don't  believe  he's  half  in  earnest.  I 
ban't  feared  of  him,  and  never  will  be.  Don't  you  be 
neither." 

They  left  the  tor  and  proceeded  to  the  girl's  home 
beneath.  The  close-cropped  turf  of  the  warrens  spread 
in  a  green  and  resilient  carpet  under  their  feet;  and, 
flung  in  a  mighty  pattern  upon  it,  young  red  leaves  of 
whortleberry  broke  through  and  spattered  the  miles 
of  turf  with  a  haze  of  russet. 

Rupert  said  farewell  at  the  entrance ;  then  he  hast- 
ened homeward  and  presently  reached  his  family 
circle  as  it  was  preparing  to  dine. 

Hester  Baskerville,  the  wife  of  Vivian,  was  a  quiet, 
fair  woman  of  fine  bearing  and  above  middle  height. 
She  was  twenty  years  younger  than  her  husband,  but 
the  union  had  been  a  happy  and  successful  one  in 
every  respect,  and  the  woman's  mild  nature  and  large 
patience  had  chimed  well  with  the  man's  strong  self- 
assertion,  narrow  outlook,  and  immovable  opinions. 
Kindness  of  heart  and  generosity  of  spirit  distin- 
guished them  both ;  and  these  precious  traits  were 
handed  to  the  children  of  the  marriage,  six  in  number. 

Ned  Baskerville,  the  eldest  son,  was  considered  the 
least  satisfactory  and  the  best  looking.  Then  came 
Rupert,  a  commonplace  edition  of  Ned,  but  worth  far 
more  as  a  responsible  being.  These  men  resembled 
their  mother  and  both  lived  at  home.  Young  Nathan 
Baskerville  followed.  He  was  a  sailor  and  seldom 
seen    at   Cadworthy.     The    two    girls   of  this   family 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  13 

succeeded  Nathan.  May  and  Polly  were  like  their 
father  —  of  dark  complexion  and  inclined  to  stout- 
ness ;  while  the  baby  of  the  household  was  Humphrey, 
a  youngster  of  thirteen,  called  atter  the  dreaded  uncle. 

All  save  Nat,  the  sailor,  were  at  table  when  Rupert 
entered  with  his  letter,  and  all  showed  keenest  interest 
to  learn  whether  Mr.  Baskerville  of  Hawk  House 
had  accepted  his  invitation. 

Rupert  handed  the  letter  to  his  mother,  and  she 
was  about  to  put  it  aside  until  her  husband's  return ; 
but  her  children  persuaded  her  to  open  it. 

"Such  a  terrible  exciting  thing,  mother,"  said  stout 
May.     "  Us  never  won't  sleep  a  wink  till  us  knows." 

"  I  hope  to  the  Lord  he  isn't  coming,"  declared 
Ned.  "  'Twill  spoil  all  —  a  regular  death's  head  he'll 
be,  and  us  shan't  dare  to  have  an  extra  drop  of  beer 
or  a  bit  of  fun  after  with  the  girls." 

*  Beer  and  a  bit  of  fun  with  the  girls '  represented 
the  limit  of  Edward  Baskerville's  ambitions ;  and  he 
gratified  them  with  determination  when  opportunity 
offered.  His  father  was  blind  to  his  faults  and  set 
him  on  a  pedestal  above  the  rest  of  the  family ;  but 
his  mother  felt  concern  that  her  eldest  son  should  be 
so  slight  a  man.  She  lived  in  hope  that  he  might 
waken  to  his  responsibilities  and  justify  existence. 
Ned  was  unusually  well-educated,  and  would  do  great 
things  some  day  in  his  father's  opinion ;  but  the  years 
passed,  he  was  now  twenty-five,  and  the  only  great 
thing  that  he  had  done  was  twice  to  become  engaged 
to  marry  and  twice  to  change  his  mind.  None  denied 
him  a  rare  gift  of  good  looks ;  and  his  fine  figure,  his 
curly  hair,  his  twinkling  eyes  and  his  mouth,  when  it 
smiled,  proved  attractive  to  many  maidens. 

Mrs.  Baskerville  left  a  spoon  in  the  large  beef-steak 
pudding  and  read  her  brother-in-law's  letter,  while  a 
cloud  of  steam  ascended  to  the  kitchen  ceiUng. 


14  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

"  Dear  brother  Vivian, 

"  You  ask  me  to  come  and  eat  my  dinner  with 
you  on  the  twenty-eighth  day  of  June  next,  because 
on  that  day  you  will  be  up  home  seventy  years  old. 
If  you  think  'tis  a  fine  thing  to  find  yourself  past 
three  score  and  ten  —  well,  perhaps  it  is.  You  can't 
go  on  much  longer,  anyway,  and  journey's  end  is  no 
hardship.  At  a  first  thought  I  should  have  reckoned 
such  a  birthday  wasn't  much  to  rejoice  over;  but 
you're  right  and  I'm  wrong.  A  man  may  pride 
himself  on  getting  so  well  through  with  the  bulk  of 
his  life  and  reaching  nigh  the  finish  with  so  few  thorns 
in  his  feet  and  aches  in  his  heart  as  what  you  have. 
I'll  come. 

"Yours  faithfully, 

"Humphrey  Baskerville." 

A  mournful  sound  like  the  wind  in  the  trees  went 
up  from  Uncle  Humphrey's  nephews  and  nieces. 

"  Be  damned  to  him  ! "  said  Ned. 

"  Perhaps  he  won't  come  after  all,  when  he  hears 
Uncle  Nat  is  coming,"  suggested  May.  She  was 
always  hopeful. 

Mrs.  Baskerville  turned  and  put  the  letter  on  the 
mantel-shelf  behind  an  eight-day  clock.  Then  she 
sat  down  and  began  to  help  the  pudding. 

"We  must  make  him  as  welcome  as  we  can,  for 
father's  sake,"  she  said. 


CHAPTER   II 

THE  hamlet  of  Shaugh  Prior,  a  gift  to  the  monks 
of  Plympton  in  time  past,  stands  beneath 
Shaugh  Moor  at  the  edge  of  a  mighty  de- 
divity.  The  Church  of  St.  Edward  lifts  its  battle- 
mented  tower  and  crocketed  pinnacles  above  a  world 
of  waste  and  fallow.  It  is  perched  upon  a  ridge  and 
stands,  supported  by  trees  and  a  few  cottages,  in  a 
position  of  great  prominence.  The  scant  beauty  that 
this  holy  place  possessed  has  vanished  under  restora- 
tion ;  but  there  yet  remain  good  bells,  while  a  notable 
font-cover,  cast  forth  by  vanished  vandals,  is  now 
returned  to  its  use. 

Round  about  the  church  dark  sycamores  shine  in 
spring,  and  at  autumn  drop  their  patched  and  mottled 
foliage  upon  the  dust  of  the  dead.  Broad-bosomed 
fields  ascend  to  the  south ;  easterly  a  high  road  climbs 
to  the  Moor,  and  immediately  north  of  Shaugh  the 
slopes  of  High  Down  lead  by  North  Wood  to  Cad- 
worthy  Farm  and  Cadworthy  Bridge  beyond  it. 

From  High  Down  the  village  and  its  outlying  habi- 
tations may  be  perceived  at  a  glance.  The  cots  and 
homesteads  converge  and  cluster  in,  with  the  church 
as  the  central  point  and  heart  of  the  organisation. 
Around  it  dwellers  from  afar  are  come  to  sleep 
through  their  eternal  night,  and  a  double  row  of 
slates,  like  an  amulet,  girdles  the  ancient  fane.  Here 
and  there  flash  white  marble  in  the  string  of  grey 
above  the  graves  of  the  people ;  and  beside  the 
churchyard  wall  stand  heaped  a  pack  of  Time's  play- 
ing cards  —  old,  thin,  and  broken  slates  from  graves 

15 


i6  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

forgotten  —  slates  and  shattered  slabs  that  have  fallen 
away  from  the  unremembered  dust  they  chronicled, 
and  now  follow  into  obHvion  the  bones  they  marked. 

A  school,  a  rectory,  *  The  White  Thorn '  inn,  and  a 
dozen  dwellings  constitute  Shaugh  Prior,  though  the 
parish  extends  far  beyond  these  boundaries  ;  and  on 
this  spring  day,  one  thrush  warbling  from  a  lilac  bush  at  a 
cottage  door,  made  music  loud  enough  to  fill  the  hamlet. 

Undershaugh  Farm  stood  near  on  the  great  hill 
that  fell  westerly  to  Shaugh  Bridge,  at  watersmeet  in 
the  valley  ;  and  upon  the  land  hard  by  it,  two  men 
tramped  backward  and  forward,  crossing  and  re-cross- 
ing in  the  bare  centre  of  a  field.  They  were  working 
over  sown  mangold  and  enriching  the  seed  under  their 
feet  by  scattering  upon  it  a  fertile  powder.  The  ma- 
nure puffed  from  their  hands  in  little  golden  clouds 
under  the  sunlight.  The  secret  of  this  mixture  be- 
longed to  one  man,  and  none  grew  such  mangolds  as 
he  could  grow. 

Undershaugh  was  the  property  of  Nathan  Basker- 
ville,  innkeeper,  and  he  had  let  it  for  twenty  years  to 
a  widow ;  but  Mr.  Baskerville  took  an  active  personal 
interest  in  the  welfare  of  his  property,  and  Mrs.  Pris- 
cilla  Lintern,  his  tenant,  was  very  well  pleased  to  fol- 
low his  advice  on  all  large  questions  of  husbandry  and 
rotation.  As  did  the  rest  of  the  world,  she  knew  his 
worth  and  wisdom. 

Nathan  Baskerville  had  original  ideas,  and  these 
were  a  source  of  ceaseless  and  amicable  argument 
between  him  and  his  elder  brother,  Vivian  Basker- 
ville, of  Cadworthy.  But  Mr.  Nathan's  centre  of 
activity  and  nidus,  from  which  his  enterprises  and 
undertakings  took  shape  and  separate  being,  was  '  The 
White  Thorn  '  public-house.  Here,  at  the  centre  of 
the  little  web  of  Shaugh  Prior,  he  pursued  his  busy 
and  prosperous  life. 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  i-j 

Nothing  came  amiss  to  him  ;  nothing  seemed  to 
fail  in  his  hands.  He  had  a  finger  in  fifty  pies,  and 
men  followed  his  lead  as  a  matter  of  course,  for 
Nathan  Baskerville  was  never  known  to  make  a  bad 
bargain  or  faulty  investment.  Nor  did  he  keep  his 
good  luck  to  himself.  All  men  could  win  his  ear  ; 
the  humblest  found  him  kind.  He  would  invest  a 
pound  for  a  day  labourer  as  willingly  as  ten  for  a 
farmer.  After  five-and-twenty  years  in  Shaugh  Prior 
he  had  won  the  absolute  trust  of  his  neighbours.  All 
eyes  brightened  at  his  name.  He  was  wont  to  say 
that  only  one  living  man  neither  believed  in  him  nor 
trusted  him. 

"  And  that  man,  as  luck  will  have  it,  is  my  own 
brother  Humphrey,"  the  innkeeper  would  confess 
over  his  bar  to  regular  visitors  thereat.  "  'Tis  no  great 
odds,  however,  and  I  don't  feel  it  so  much  as  you 
might  think,  because  Humphrey  Baskerville  is  built 
on  a  very  uncomfortable  pattern.  If  'twas  only  me  he 
mistrusted,  I  might  feel  hurt  about  it ;  but  'tis  the 
world,  and  therefore  I've  got  no  right  to  mind. 
There's  none  —  none  he  would  rely  upon  in  a  fix  —  a 
terrible  plight  for  a  man  that.  But  I  live  in  hopes  that 
I'll  win  him  round  yet." 

The  folk  condoled  with  him,  and  felt  a  reasonable 
indignation  that  this  most  large-hearted,  kindly,  and 
transparent  of  spirits  should  rest  under  his  own 
brother's  suspicion.  They  explained  it  as  the  work  of 
jealousy.  All  Baskervilles  had  brains,  and  most  were 
noted  for  good  looks  ;  but  both  gifts  had  reached  their 
highest  development  and  culmination  in  Nathan.  He 
was  the  handsomest  and  the  cleverest  of  the  clan  ;  and 
doubtless  Humphrey,  a  sinister  and  secret  character, 
against  whom  much  was  whispered  and  more  suspected, 
envied  his  brother's  gifts  and  far-reaching  popularity. 
Nathan    was    sixty,  the    youngest   and    physically  the 


1 8  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

weakest  of  the  three  brothers.  He  had  a  delicate 
throat  which  often  caused  him  anxiety. 

The  men  scattering  manure  upon  the  mangolds 
made  an  end  of  their  work  and  separated.  One  took 
some  sacks  and  the  pails  used  for  the  fertiliser.  Then 
he  mounted  a  bare-backed  horse  that  stood  in  a 
corner  of  the  field,  and  rode  away  slowly  to  Under- 
shaugh.  His  companion  crossed  the  stream  beneath 
the  village,  mounted  a  hill  beyond  it,  and  presently- 
entered  '  The  White  Thorn.'  He  was  a  well-turned, 
fair,  good-looking  youth  in  corduroys  and  black 
leathern  leggings.  He  wore  no  collar,  but  his  blue 
cotton  shirt  was  clean  and  made  a  pleasant  contrast 
of  colour  with  the  brown  throat  that  rose  from  it. 
Young  Lintern  was  the  widow  Lintern's  only  son  and 
her  right  hand  at  Undershaugh. 

The  men  in  the  bar  gave  him  good  day,  and  Mr. 
Baskerville,  who  was  serving,  drew  for  him  half  a  pint 
of  beer. 

"  Well,  Heathman,"  he  said.  "  So  that's  done. 
And,  mark  me,  'twas  worth  the  doing.  If  you  don't 
fetch  home  first  prize  as  usual  for  they  mangolds,  say 
I've  forgot  the  recipe." 

" 'Tis  queer  stuff,"  answered  the  youngster,  "and 
what  with  this  wind  blowing,  my  eyes  and  nose  and 
throat's  all  full  of  it." 

"  'Twill  do  you  no  harm  but  rise  a  pleasant 
thirst." 

Mr.  Baskerville  had  humour  stamped  at  the 
wrinkled  corners  of  his  bright  eyes.  His  face  was 
genial  and  rubicund.  He  wore  a  heavy  grey  beard, 
but  his  hair,  though  streaked  with  grey,  was  still  dark 
in  colour.  A  plastic  mouth  that  widened  into  laughter 
a  thousand  times  a  day,  belonged  to  him.  He  was 
rather  above  average  height,  sturdy  and  energetic. 
He  declared  that  he  had  never  known  what  it  was  to 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  19 

be  weary  in  mind  or  body.  Behind  his  bar  he  wore 
no  coat,  but  ministered  in  turned-up  shirt  sleeves  that 
revealed  fine  hairy  arms. 

Young  Ned  Baskerville  sat  in  the  bar,  and  now  he 
spoke  to  Heathman  Lintern. 

.  "Have  one  with  me,  Heathman,"  he  said.  "I 
was  going  down  to  your  mother  with  a  message,  but 
now  you  can  take  it  and  save  me  the  trouble." 

His  uncle  shook  his  head. 

"Ah,  boy  —  always  the  same  with  you.  Anybody 
as  will  save  you  trouble  be  your  friend.  'Tis  a  very 
poor  look-out,  Ned  ;  for  let  a  certain  party  only  get 
wind  of  it  that  you're  such  a  chap  for  running  from 
work,  and  he'll  mighty  soon  come  along  and  save  you 
all  trouble  for  evermore." 

"And  who  might  he  be,  Uncle  Nat?" 

"  Old  Nick,  my  fine  fellow  !  You  may  laugh,  but 
Tommy  Gollop  here  will  bear  me  out,  and  Joe 
Voysey  too,  won't  you,  Joe  ?  They  be  both  born 
and  bred  in  the  shadow  of  the  church,  and  as  well  up 
in  morals  as  grave-digging  and  cabbage-growing. 
And  they'll  tell  you  that  the  devil's  always  ready  to 
work  for  an  idle  man." 

"  True,"  said  Mr.  Gollop.  "  True  as  truth  itself. 
But  the  dowl  won't  work  for  nought,  any  more  than 
the  best  of  us.  Long  hours,  I  grant  you  —  never 
tired  him,  and  never  takes  a  rest  —  but  he'll  have  his 
wages  ;  and  Ned  here  knows  what  they  be,  no  doubt" 

Ned  laughed. 

"  I'm  all  right,"  he  said.  "  I  shall  work  hard 
enough  come  presently,  when  it  gets  to  be  worth  while." 

Mr.  Gollop  spoke  again.  He  was  a  stout  man  with 
a  little  grey  beard,  a  flat  forehead,  barely  indicated 
under  his  low-growing,  coarse  hair,  and  large  brown, 
solemn  eyes.  He  and  his  sister  were  leading  figures 
at  Shaugh  Prior,  and  took  themselves  and  their  mani- 


20  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

fold  labours  in  a  serious  spirit.  Some  self-complacency 
marked  their  outlook  ;  and  their  perspective  was  faulty. 
They  held  Shaugh  Prior  as  the  centre  of  civilisation, 
and  considered  that  their  united  labours  had  served 
to  place  and  helped  tp  maintain  it  in  that  position. 
Thomas  GoUop  was  parish  clerk  and  sexton  ;  his 
sister  united  many  avocations.  She  acted  as  pew- 
opener  at  the.  church  ;  she  was  a  sick-nurse  and  mid- 
wife ;  she  took  temporary  appointments  as  plain  cook  ; 
she  posed  as  intelligencer  of  Shaugh  Prior  ;  and  what 
she  did  not  know  of  every  man,  woman,  and  child  in 
the  village,  together  with  their  ambitions,  financial 
position,  private  relations,  religious  opinions,  and 
physical  constitutions,  was  not  worth  knowing. 

"  At  times  of  large  change  like  this,  when  we  are 
threatened  with  all  manner  of  doubts  and  dangers,  'tis 
well  for  every  man  among  us  to  hold  stoutly  to 
religion  and  defy  any  one  who  would  shake  us,"  said 
Mr.  Gollop.  "  For  my  part  I  shall  strike  the  first 
blow,  and  let  it  be  seen  that  I'm  a  man  very  jealous 
for  the  Lord,  and  the  village  and  the  old  paths." 

"What's  going  to  happen?"  asked  Ned.  "You 
talk  as  if  Doomsday  was  coming." 

"Not  at  all,"  answered  Mr.  Gollop.  "When 
Doomsday  comes,  if  I'm  still  here,  I  shall  know  how 
to  handle  it ;  but  'tis  the  new  vicar.  A  man  is  a  man  ; 
and  with  a  strange  man  'tis  only  too  terrible  certain 
there  will  creep  in  strange  opinions  and  a  nasty  hunger 
for  novelty." 

"  And  what's  worse,"  said  Mr.  Voysey,  "  a  young 
man.  An  old  man  I  could  have  faced  from  my  sixty- 
five  years  without  fear ;  but  how  can  you  expect  a 
young  youth  —  full  of  the  fiery  silliness  of  the  twenties 
—  to  understand  that  as  I've  been  gardener  at  the 
vicarage  for  forty  year,  so  in  right  and  decency  and 
order  I  ought  to  go  on  being  gardener  there  ?  " 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  it 

"  Have  no  fear,  Joe,"  said  Mr.  Baskerville.  "  If 
there's  one  thing  among  us  that  Mr.  Masterman  won't 
change,  'tis  you,  I'm  sure  ;  for  who  knows  the  outs 
and  ins  of  the  garden  up  the  hill  like  you  do  ?  " 

"  'Tis  true,"  admitted  Tommy  Gollop.  "  That 
land  is  like  a  human,  you  might  say  —  stiff  and  stub- 
born and  got  to  be  coaxed  to  do  its  best ;  and  I'm 
sure  he'll  very  soon  see  that  only  Voysey  can  fetch 
his  beans  and  peas  out  of  the  soil,  and  that  it's  took 
him  a  Hfetime  to  learn  the  trick  of  the  place.  And  I 
feel  the  same  to  the  church.  If  he's  got  any  new- 
fangled fashion  of  worship,  Shaugh  will  rise  against 
him  like  one  man.  After  fifty-two  years  of  the  Rev- 
erend Valletort,  we  can't  be  blown  from  our  fixed  ways 
at  a  young  man's  breath  ;  and  I'm  sure  I  do  hope  that 
he  won't  want  so  much  as  a  cobweb  swept  down,  or 
else  there'll  be  difficulties  spring  up  around  him  like 
weeds  after  rain." 

"  What  a  pack  of  mouldy  old  fossils  you  are  in  this 
place!"  said  Heathman  Lintern.  "I'm  sure,  for  my 
part,  I  hope  the  man  will  fetch  along  a  few  new  ideas 
to  waken  us  up.  If 'twasn't  for  Mr.  Baskerville  here, 
Shaugh  would  be  forgot  in  the  world  altogether.  You 
should  hear  Jack  Head  on  the  subject." 

But  Tommy  Gollop  little  liked  such  criticism. 

"  You're  young  and  terribly  ignorant,  and  Jack 
Head's  a  red  radical  as  ought  to  be  locked  up,"  he  an- 
swered. "  But  you'll  do  well  to  keep  your  ignorance 
from  leaking  out  and  making  you  look  a  ninny-ham- 
mer afore  sensible  men.  Shaugh  Prior's  a  bit  ahead  of 
the  times  rather  than  behind  'em,  and  my  fear  always 
is,  and  always  will  be,  that  we  shall  take  the  bit  in  our 
teeth  some  day  and  bolt  with  it.  'Tis  no  good  being 
too  far  ahead  of  the  race;  and  that's  why  I'm  afeared 
that  this  young  Masterman,  when  he  finds  how  for- 
ward we  are,  will  try  to  go  one  better  and  stir  up  strife." 


22  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

"  Don't  think  it,  Tommy,"  said  Nathan  Baskerville. 
"  I've  had  a  good  tell  with  him  and  find  him  a  very 
civil-spoken  and  well-meaning  man.  No  fool,  neither. 
You  mustn't  expect  him  to  leave  everything  just  as  Mr. 
Valletort  left  it.  You  must  allow  for  the  difference 
between  eighty-two  and  twenty-eight,  which  is  Mr. 
Masterman's  age ;  but,  beheve  me,  he's  calm  and 
sensible  and  very  anxious  to  please.  He's  pleased  me 
by  praising  my  beer,  like  one  who  knew;  and  he's 
pleased  my  brother  Vivian  by  praising  his  riding-cob, 
like  one  who  knew ;  and  he'll  please  Joe  Voysey 
presently  by  praising  the  vicarage  garden  ;  and  he'll 
please  you,  Thomas,  by  praising  your  churchyard." 

"  If  he's  going  to  be  all  things  to  all  men,  he'll 
please  none,"  said  Tommy.  "  We've  got  no  need  of 
one  of  them  easy  ministers.  Him  and  me  must  keep 
the  whip-hand  of  Shaugh,  same  as  me  and  the  Rev- 
erend Valletort  used  to  do.  However,  the  man  will 
hear  my  views,  and  my  sister's  also  ;  because  a  clear 
understanding  from  the  start  be  going  to  save  a  world 
of  worry  after." 

"Not  married,"  said  Mr.  Voysey.  "But  he've  a 
sister.  I  hope  she  ban't  one  of  they  gardening  sort, 
so-called,  that's  always  messing  round  making  work 
and  finding  things  blowed  down  here  or  eaten  with 
varmints  there.  If  she's  a  flower-liking  female,  'twill 
be  my  place  to  tell  her  straight  out  from  the  shoulder 
that  flowers  won't  grow  in  the  vicarage  garden,  and 
that  she  must  be  content  with  the  'dendrums  in  sum- 
mer time  and  the  foxgloves  and  such-like  homely  old 
stuff." 

"  He  was  a  football  player  to  college  and  very  skilled 
at  it,  so  Barker  told  me,"  said  Ned  Baskerville. 

"  Then  mark  me,  he'll  be  for  making  a  club,  and 
teaching  the  young  chaps  to  play  of  a  Saturday  and 
keeping  'em  out  of  your  bar,   Mr.   Baskerville,"  de- 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  23 

dared  the  parish  clerk ;  "  Yes,  look  at  it  as  you  will, 
there's  changes  in  the  air,  and  I  hope  we'll  all  stand 
shoulder  to  shoulder  against  'em,  and  down  the  man 
afore  he  gets  his  foot  in  the  stirrup." 

"  You  two  —  Joe  Voysey  and  you  —  be  enough  to 
frighten  the  poor  soul  out  of  his  seven  senses  afore 
he's  been  in  the  place  a  week,"  declared  Ned  Basker- 
ville.  "  And  I  hope  for  one  that  Uncle  Nat  won't  go 
against  him  ;  and  I  know  father  won't,  for  he's  said 
this  many  a  day  that  old  Valletort  was  past  his  work 
and  ought  to  be  pensioned  off." 

"  Your  father's  not  a  man  for  unseemly  changes,  all 
the  same,"  declared  Tommy  ;  "and  if  this  new  young 
minister  was  to  go  in  the  pulpit  in  white  instead  of 
black,  for  instance,  as  the  Popish  habit  is,  Vivian 
Baskerville  would  be  the  first  to  rise  up  and  tell  him 
to  dress  himself  decently  and  in  order." 

But  Ned  denied  this. 

"  Don't  you  think  you  know  my  father,  Tommy, 
because  you  don't.  If  this  chap  gets  up  a  football 
club,  he'll  have  father  on  his  side  from  the  first ;  and 
he  can  preach  in  black  or  white  or  pea-green,  so  long 
as  he  talks  sense  through  his  mouth,  and  not  nonsense 
through  his  nose,  like  the  old  one  did." 

"  Don't  you  speak  for  your  father,"  said  Joseph 
Voysey.  He  was  a  very  tall  and  a  very  thin  man, 
with  pale,  watery  eyes  and  a  scanty  beard.  Nature 
had  done  so  much  for  his  long  and  rather  absurd 
hatchet  nose,  that  there  was  no  material  left  for  his 
chin. 

"  If  I  shouldn't  talk  for  my  father,  who  should  ? " 
retorted  Ned.  Then  Mr.  Voysey  descended  to  per- 
sonalities and  accused  the  other  of  irreverence  and 
laziness.  The  argument  grew  sharp  and  Mr.  Basker- 
ville was  forced  to  still  it. 

"  Come  you  along  and  don't  talk  twaddle,  Ned,"  he 


24  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

said  to  his  nephew.  "I'm  going  down  to  Under- 
shaugh  myself  this  minute,  to  see  Mrs.  Lintern,  and 
you  and  Heathman  will  come  with  me." 

He  called  to  a  pot-boy,  turned  down  his  sleeves, 
took  his  coat  from  a  hook  behind  the  door,  and  was 
ready  to  start. 

"  When  Mr.  Masterman  does  come  among  us,  'twill 
be  everybody's  joy  and  pride  to  make  him  welcome  in 
a  kindly  spirit,"  he  said.  "  Changes  must  happen, 
but  if  he's  a  gentleman  and  a  sportsman  and  a  Christian 
—  all  of  which  he  certainly  looks  to  be  —  then  'twill 
be  the  fault  of  Shaugh  Prior,  and  not  the  man's,  if  all 
don't  go  friendly  and  suent.  Give  and  take's  the 
motto." 

"  Yes,"  admitted  Mr.  Gollop.  "  Give  nought  and 
take  all :  that's  the  way  of  the  young  nowadays  ;  and 
that'll  be  his  way  so  like  as  not;  and  I'll  deny  him  to 
his  face  from  the  first  minute,  if  he  seeks  to  ride  rough- 
shod over  me,  and  the  church,  and  the  people." 

"  Hear  !     Hear  !  "  cried  Mr.  Voysey. 

"  We'll  hope  he'll  have  enough  sense  to  spare  a  little 
for  you  silly  old  blids,"  said  Heathman  Lintern. 
Then  he  followed  the  Baskervilles. 


CHAPTER   III 

NATHAN  BASKERVILLE,  like  his  brother 
Humphrey,  was  a  widower.  Very  early  in  life 
he  had  married  a  young  woman  of  good  means 
and  social  position  superior  to  his  own.  His  hand- 
some face  and  manifold  charms  of  disposition  won 
Minnie  Stanlake,  and  she  brought  to  him  a  small  for- 
tune in  her  own  right,  together  with  the  detestation 
of  her  whole  family.  Husband  and  wife  had  lived 
happily,  save  for  the  woman's  fierce  and  undying  jeal- 
ousy which  extended  beyond  her  early  grave. 

She  died  childless  at  eight-and-twenty,  and  left  five 
thousand  pounds  to  her  husband  on  the  understanding 
that  he  did  not  marry  again.  He  obeyed  this  condi- 
tion, though  it  was  vain  in  law,  and  presently  returned 
to  his  own  people.  His  married  life  was  spent  at 
Taunton,  as  a  general  dealer,  but  upon  his  wife's  death 
he  abandoned  this  business  and  set  up  another  like 
it  at  Bath. 

At  five-and-thirty  years  of  age  he  came  back  to 
Devonshire  and  his  native  village.  Great  natural 
energy  kept  him  busy.  He  dearly  liked  to  conduct 
all  manner  of  pettifogging  business,  and  his  good 
nature  was  such  that  the  folk  did  not  hesitate  to  con- 
sult him  upon  their  affairs.  His  legal  attainments  were 
considered  profound,  while  his  shrewd  handling  of 
figures,  and  his  personal  prosperity,  combined  to  place 
him  on  a  pinnacle  among  the  folk  as  a  great  financier 
and  most  capable  man  of  business.  He  did  not  lend 
money  at  interest,  but  was  known  more  than  once  to 
have  helped  a  lame  dog  over  a  stile.  Many  kind 
things  he  did,  and  no  man  spoke  a  bad  word  of  him. 

25 


26  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

People  brought  him  their  savings  and  begged  him 
to  invest  them  according  to  his  judgment.  They 
usually  asked  for  no  details,  but  received  their  interest 
regularly,  and  trusted  Nathan  Baskerville  like  the 
Bank  of  England.  He  was  in  truth  a  large-hearted 
and  kindly  spirit,  who  found  his  pleasure  in  the  affec- 
tion and  also  in  the  applause  of  the  people.  He  liked 
to  figure  among  them  as  the  first.  He  loved  work  for 
itself  and  enjoyed  the  universal  praise  of  his  attain- 
ments. 

Mr.  Gollop  might  delude  himself  into  believing 
that  he  was  the  leading  citizen  of  Shaugh  ;  but  the 
master  of  '  The  White  Thorn '  knew  better.  With- 
out undue  vanity  he  was  not  able  to  hide  the  fact  that 
he  stood  above  others  in  the  esteem  of  the  country- 
side. He  was  not  so  rich  as  people  thought,  and  he  had 
not  laid  foundations  of  such  a  fortune  as  they  supposed 
during  the  years  at  Bath  ;  but  he  fostered  the  impres- 
sion and  the  fame  it  gave  him.  It  suited  better  his 
native  idiosyncrasy  to  tower  among  smaller  men,  than 
to  be  small  amidst  his  betters.  He  liked  the  round- 
eyed  reverence  of  ploughboys  and  the  curtsey  of  the 
school  children. 

The  late  vicar,  a  Tory  of  the  early  Victorian  age, 
had  contrived  to  let  Mr.  Baskerville  perceive  the  gulf 
that  existed  between  them  ;"  and  that  the  more  defi- 
nitely because  Nathan  was  a  Nonconformist.  The 
publican  professed  strong  Conservative  principles,  how- 
ever, and  the  attitude  of  the  last  incumbent  of  Shaugh 
had  caused  him  some  secret  annoyance ;  but  he  too 
hoped  that  with  the  advent  of  a  younger  man  and  mod- 
ern principles  this  slight  disability  might  vanish.  For 
the  rest  he  rode  to  hounds,  and  his  attitude  in  the  hunt- 
ing field  was  admitted  to  be  exceedingly  correct  and 
tactful. 

He  had  no  known  confidant  and  he  seldom  spoke 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  27 

about  himself.  That  he  had  never  married  astonished 
many  people  exceedingly  ;  but  it  was  significant  of  the 
genuine  affection  and  esteem  entertained  for  him  that 
none,  even  when  they  came  to  learn  of  his  dead  wife's 
bequest  and  its  condition,  ever  imputed  sordid  motives 
to  his  celibacy.  Five  thousand  pounds  was  guessed  to 
be  but  a  small  part  of  Mr.  Baskerville's  fortune,  and, 
when  the  matter  chanced  upon  local  tongues,  men  and 
women  alike  were  quite  content  to  believe  that  not 
affection  for  money,  but  love  for  his  dead  partner,  had 
proved  strong  enough  to  maintain  Nathan  in  widow- 
hood. He  liked  the  company  of  women,  and  was 
never  so  pleased  as  when  doing  them  a  service.  For 
their  part  they  admired  him  also  and  wished  him 
well. 

Mr.  Baskerville  not  only  owned  'The  White  Thorn  * 
and  its  adjacencies,  but  had  other  house  property  at 
Shaugh  and  in  the  neighbouring  parish  of  Bickleigh. 
His  principal  possession  was  the  large  farm  of  Un- 
dershaugh ;  and  thither  now  he  proceeded  with  his 
nephew,  Ned  Baskerville,  on  one  side  of  him  and 
young  Heathman  Lintern  on  the  other. 

According  to  his  wont  Nathan  chattered  volubly 
and  suited  the  conversation  to  his  listeners. 

"  You  young  chaps  must  both  join  the  football  club, 
if  there  is  one.  I'm  glad  to  think  new  parson's  that 
sort,  for  'tis  just  the  kind  of  thing  we're  wanting  here. 
You  fellows,  and  a  lot  Hke  you,  spend  too  much  time 
and  money  at  my  bar  to  please  me.  You  may  laugh, 
Ned,  but  'tis  so.  And  another  thing  I'd  have  you 
to  know :  so  like  as  not  we  shall  have  a  rifle  corps 
also.  I've  often  turned  my  mind  on  it.  We  must  let 
this  man  see  we're  not  all  willingly  behind  the  times, 
but  only  waiting  for  a  bit  of  encouragement  to  go 
ahead  with  the  best." 

Ned  pictured  his  own  fine  figure  in  a  uniform,  and 


2  8  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

applauded  the  rifle  corps;  and  Heathman  did  the 
like. 

"  Ned  here  would  fancy  himself  a  lot  in  that  black 
and  silver  toggery  the  yeomanry  wear,  wouldn't  you, 
Ned  ?  " 

"  'Tis  a  very  good  idea,  and  would  help  to  make 
you  and  a  few  other  round-backed  chaps  as  straight  in 
the  shoulders  as  me,"  declared  Ned  complacently. 

"  Well,  you  may  be  straight,"  answered  the  other 
with  a  laugh.  "  Certainly  you've  never  been  known 
yet  to  bend  your  shoulders  to  work.  A  day's  trout- 
fishing  be  the  hardest  job  that  ever  you've  taken  on  — 
unless  courting  the  maidens  be  a  hard  job." 

Ned  laughed  and  so  did  his  uncle. 

"  You're  right  there,  Heathman,"  declared  Mr. 
Baskerville.  "  A  lazy  scamp  you  are,  Ned,  though 
your  father  won't  see  it ;  but  nobody  knows  it  better 
than  the  girls.  They  like  you  very  well  for  a  fine  day 
and  a  picnic  by  the  river ;  but  I  can  tell  you  this  : 
they're  getting  to  see  through  you  only  too  well. 
They  don't  want  fair-weather  husbands ;  but  stout, 
hard  fellows,  like  Pleathman  here,  as  have  got  brains 
and  use  'em,  and  arms  and  legs  and  use  'em.." 

"No  more  use  —  you,  than  a  pink  and  white 
china  joney  stuck  on  a  mantelshelf,"  said  Heathman. 
Whereupon  Ned  dashed  at  him  and,  half  in  jest,  half 
in  earnest,  they  wrestled  by  the  roadside.  Mr.  Bas- 
kerville looked  on  with  great  enjoyment,  and  helped 
presently  to  dust  Heathman  after  he  had  been  cross- 
buttocked. 

"That'll  show  'e  if  I'm  a  pink  and  white  puppet  for 
a  mantelpiece,"  declared  Ned. 

The  other  laughed  and  licked  a  scratch  on  his 
hand. 

"  Well  done  you  !  "  he  said.  "  Never  thought  you 
was  so  spry.      But  let's  have  a  whole  day's  ploughing 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  29 

over  a  bit  of  the  five-acre  field  to  Undershaugh,  and 
see  what  sort  of  a  man  you  are  in  the  evening." 

"  Not  me,"  answered  the  other.  "  Got  no  use  for  the 
plough-tail  myself.      Rupert  will  take  you  on  at  that." 

"  To  see  you  wrestle  puts  me  in  mind  of  your 
father,"  said  Nathan.  "  This  generation  can't  call 
home  his  greatness,  and  beside  him  you're  a  shrimp  to 
a  lobster,  Ned ;  but  'twas  a  grand  sight  to  see  him 
handle  a  man  in  his  prime.  I  mind  actually  getting 
him  up  to  London  once,  because  I  named  his  name 
there  among  some  sporting  fellows  and  'twas  slighted. 
They  thought,  being  my  brother,  that  I  held  him  too 
high,  though  he  was  champion  of  Devon  at  the 
time.  But  my  way  is  never  to  say  nought  with  my 
tongue  that  I  won't  back  with  my  pocket,  and  I  made 
a  match  for  thirty  pounds  a  side  for  your  father.  A 
Middlesex  man  called  Thorpe,  from  down  Bermondsey 
way,  was  chosen,  and  your  father  came  up  on  a  Friday 
and  put  that  chap  on  his  back  twice  in  five  minutes, 
and  then  went  home  again  fifteen  pound  to  the  good. 
A  very  clever  man  too,  was  Thorpe,  but  he  never 
wanted  to  have  no  more  to  do  with  your  father. 
Vivian  weighed  over  fourteen  stone  in  them  days,  and 
not  a  pound  of  fat  in  the  lot,  I  believe.  He  could 
have  throwed  down  a  tor,  I  reckon,  if  he  could  have 
got  a  hold  on  it.  But  you  fellows  be  after  your 
mother's  build.  The  best  of  you  —  him  that's  at  sea 
—  won't  never  draw  the  beam  to  twelve  stone." 

A  tramp  stopped  Mr.  Baskerville,  touched  his  hat 
and  spoke. 

"  You  gave  me  a  bit  of  work  harvesting  two  year 
ago,  master,  and  you  didn't  pull  much  of  a  long  face 
when  I  told  you  I  wasn't  fond  of  work  as  a  rule.  I'm 
more  broke  than  usual  just  for  the  minute,  and  rather 
short  o'  boot-leather.     Can  'e  give  me  a  job  ?  " 

Nathan  was  famous  at  making  work  for  everybody, 


30  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

and  loafers  rarely  appealed  to  him  in  vain.  How  such 
an  exceedingly  busy  man  could  find  it  in  his  heart  to 
sympathise  with  drones,  none  knew.  It  was  another 
of  the  anomalies  of  Mr.  Baskerville's  character.  But 
he  often  proved  good  for  a  square  meal,  a  day's  labour 
and  a  night's  rest,  as  many  houseless  folk  well  knew. 

"  You're  the  joker  who  calls  himself  the  *  Duke  of 
Drake's  Island,'  aren't  you  ?  " 

"  The  Duke  of  Drake's  Island  "  grinned  and  nodded. 
He  was  a  worthless  soul,  very  well  known  to  the  Devon 
constabulary. 

"  Get  up  to  the  village  and  call  at  *  The  White  Thorn' 
in  an  hour  from  now,  and  ask  for  me." 

*'  Thank  you  kindly,  Mr.  Baskerville." 

"We'll  see  about  that  later.  I  can  find  a  job  for 
you  to-night ;  but  it  ain't  picking  primroses." 

Priscilla  Lintern  met  her  landlord  at  the  gate  of 
Undershaugh.  They  were  on  terms  of  intimacy,  and 
nodded  to  each  other  in  an  easy  and  friendly  manner. 
She  had  been  feeding  poultry  from  a  basin,  and  now 
set  it  down,  wiped  her  fingers  on  her  apron,  and  shook 
hands  with  Ned  Baskerville. 

"  How  be  you,  then  ?  'Tis  a  longful  time  since  you 
called  on  us.  Master  Ned." 

"  I'm  clever,  thank  you ;  and  I  see  you  are,  Mrs. 
Lintern.  And  I  hope  Cora  and  Phyllis  be  all  right 
too.  Heathman  here  be  growing  as  strong  as  a  lion  — 
ban't  you,  Heathman  ?  " 

Mrs.  Lintern  was  a  brown,  good-looking  woman 
of  rather  more  than  fifty.  For  twenty  years  she  had 
farmed  Undershaugh,  and  her  power  of  reserve  sur- 
prised a  garrulous  village.  It  was  taken  by  the  sen- 
sible for  wisdom  and  by  the  foolish  for  pride.  She 
worked  hard,  paid  her  rent  at  the  hour  it  was  due,  as 
Nathan  often  mentioned  to  her  credit,  and  kept  her 
own  counsel.     Very  little  was  known  about  her,  save 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  31 

that  she  had  come  to  Shaugh  as  a  widow  with  three 
young  children,  that  she  was  kind-hearted  and  might 
have  married  Mr.  Gollop  a  year  after  her  arrival,  but 
had  declined  the  honour. 

Her  daughters  were  at  dinner  when  the  men  entered, 
and  both  rose  and  saluted  Ned  with  some  self-con- 
sciousness. Phyllis,  the  younger,  was  like  her  mother  : 
brown,  neat,  silent  and  reserved ;  the  elder  was  cast 
in  a  larger  mould  and  might  have  been  called  frankly- 
beautiful. 

Cora  was  dark,  with  black  eyes  and  a  fair  skin  whose 
purity  she  took  pains  to  preserve.  She  was  tall,  straight 
and  full  in  the  bosom.  Her  mouth  alone  betrayed  her, 
for  the  lips  set  close  and  they  were  rather  thin;  but  peo- 
ple forgot  them  when  she  laughed  and  showed  her  pretty 
teeth.  Her  laugh  again  belied  her  lips,  for  it  was  gentle 
and  pleasant.  She  had  few  delusions  for  a  maiden,  and 
she  worked  hard.  To  Cora  belonged  a  gift  of  common- 
sense.  The  girl  lacked  sentiment,  but  she  was  shrewd 
and  capable.  She  kept  her  mother's  books  and  dis- 
played a  talent  for  figures.  It  was  said  that  she  had  the 
brains  of  the  family.  Only  Mr.  Baskerville  himself 
doubted  it,  and  maintained  that  Cora's  mother  was  the 
abler  woman.  Phyllis  was  lost  at  all  times  in  admira- 
tion of  her  more  brilliant  sister,  but  Heathman  did  not 
like  Cora  and  often  quarrelled  with  her. 

Ned  gave  his  message  and  asked  for  a  drink  of  cider. 
Thereupon  Phyllis  rose  from  her  dinner  and  went  to 
fetch  it.  But  young  Baskerville's  eyes  were  on  Cora 
while  he  drank.  He  had  the  manner  of  a  man  very  well 
accustomed  to  female  society,  and  long  experience  had 
taught  him  that  nine  girls  out  often  found  him  exceed- 
ingly attractive.  His  easy  insolence  won  them  against 
their  will.  Such  girls  as  demanded  worship  and  respect 
found  Ned  not  so  agreeable ;  but  those  who  preferred 
the  male  creature  to  dominate  were  fascinated  by  his 


32  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

sublimity  and  affectation  of  knowledge  and  worldly 
wisdom.  He  pretended  to  know  everything  —  a  con- 
vincing attitude  only  among  those  who  know  nothing. 

The  talk  was  of  a  revel  presently  to  take  place 
at  Tavistock.  "  And  what's  your  gown  going  to  be, 
Phyllis  ?  "  asked  Ned. 

The  gown  of  Phyllis  did  not  interest  him  in  the  least, 
but  this  question  was  put  as  a  preliminary  to  another, 
and  when  the  younger  sister  told  him  that  she  meant 
to  wear  plum- colour,  he  turned  to  Cora. 

"  Cora's  got  a  lovely  frock  —  blue  muslin  wi'  little 
pink  roses,  and  a  straw  hat  wi'  big  pink  roses,"  said 
Phyllis. 

Ned  nodded. 

"  I'd  go  a  long  way  to  see  her  in  such  a  beautiful 
dress,"  he  said ;  "  and,  mind,  I'm  to  have  a  dance 
or  two  with  you  both.  There's  to  be  dancing  in 
the  evening — not  rough  and  tumble  on  the  grass, 
but  boards  are  to  be  laid  down  and  everything  done 
proper." 

They  chattered  about  the  promised  festivity,  while 
Nathan  and  Mrs.  Lintern,  having  discussed  certain 
farm  matters,  spoke  of  another  and  a  nearer  celebra- 
tion. 

"  You  see,  my  brother  Vivian  and  I  are  of  the  good 
old-fashioned  sort,  and  we're  bent  on  the  whole  family 
meeting  at  a  square  feed,  with  good  wishes  all  round,  on 
his  seventieth  birthday.  To  think  of  him  turned 
seventy  !  I  can't  believe  it.  Yet  Time  won't  stand 
still  —  not  even  with  the  busiest.  A  family  affair  'tis 
to  be,  and  none  asked  outside  ourselves." 

"  Does  Mr.  Humphrey  go  ?  He's  not  much  of  a 
hand  at  a  revel." 

"  He  is  not;  and  I  thought  that  he  would  have  refused 
the  invitation.  But  he's  accepted.  We  shall  try  our 
hardest  to  cheer  him  up  and  get  a  drop  of  generous 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  33 

liquor  into  him.  I  only  hope  he  won't  be  a  damper 
and  spoil  the  fun." 

"  A  pity  he's  going." 

"  We  shall  know  that  better  afterwards.  'Twill  be  a 
pity  if  he  mars  all ;  but  'twill  be  a  good  thing  if  we  over- 
master him  amongst  us,  and  get  him  to  take  a  hopefuller 
view  of  life  and  a  kinder  view  of  his  fellow-creatures." 

Ned  chimed  in. 

"  You'll  never  do  that,  Uncle  Nat.  He's  too  old  to 
change  now.  And  Cousin  Mark  be  going  just  the  same 
way.  He's  getting  such  a  silent,  hang-dog  chap,  and 
no  wonder,  having  to  live  with  such  a  father.  I'd  run 
away  if  I  was  him." 

Nathan  laughed. 

"  I  believe  you'd  almost  rather  work  than  keep  along 
with  your  Uncle  Humphrey,"  he  said. 

"  'Tis  pretty  well  known  I  can  work  when  I  choose," 
declared  Ned. 

"  Yes,"  said  Heathman,  with  his  mouth  full ;  "  and 
'tis  also  pretty  well  known  you  never  do  choose." 

The  elder  Baskerville  clapped  his  hands. 

"  One  to  you,  Heathman  !  "  he  said.  "  Ned  can't 
deny  the  truth  of  that." 

But  Ned  showed  no  concern. 

"  I  shall  make  up  for  lost  time  very  easily  when  I 
do  start,"  he  said.  "  I've  got  ideas,  I  believe,  and 
they  go  beyond  ploughing.  I'm  like  Cora  here  — 
all  brains.  You  may  laugh,  Uncle  Nat,  but  you're 
not  the  only  Baskerville  with  a  head  on  your  shoul- 
ders.    I'll  astonish  you  yet." 

"  You  will  —  you  will  —  the  day  you  begin  to  work, 
Ned  ;  and  the  sooner  the  better.  I  shall  be  very  glad 
when  it  happens." 

The  women  laughed,  and  Cora  much  admired  Ned's 
lofty  attitude.  She  too  had  ambitions,  and  felt  little 
sympathy  with  those  who  were   content  to  labour  on 


34 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS 


the  soil.  She  strove  often  to  fire  her  brother  and  en- 
large his  ambitions  ;  but  he  had  the  farmer's  instinct, 
enjoyed  physical  work,  and  laughed  at  her  airs  and 
graces. 

"  Give  me  Rupert,"  said  Heathman  now.  "  He's 
like  me —  not  much  good  at  talking  and  ain't  got  no 
use  for  the  girls,  but  a  towser  to  work." 

"  The  man  who  ain't  got  no  use  for  the  girls  is  not 
a  man,"  declared  Ned  very  positively.  "  They're  the 
salt  of  the  earth  —  ban't  they,  Mrs.  Lintern  ?" 

She  smiled  and  looked  at  him  curiously,  then  at  his 
uncle ;  but  she  did  not  answer. 

"Anyway,"  continued  Ned,  "you're  out  when  you 
say  Rupert's  like  you  ;  for  hard  worker  that  he  is,  he's 
found  time  for  a  bit  of  love-making." 

Cora  and  Phyllis  manifested  instant  excitement  and 
interest  at  this  news. 

"  Who  is  she  ?     You  must  tell  us,"  said  the  elder. 

"  Why,  I  will;  but  say  nought,  for  nothing  be  known 
about  it  outside  the  families,  and  Rupert  haven't  said  a 
word  himself  tome.  I  reckon  he  don't  guess  that  I  know. 
But  such  things  can't  be  hid  from  my  eyes  —  too 
sharp  for  that,  I  believe.  'Tis  Milly  Luscombe,  if 
you  must  know.  A  very  nice  little  thing  too  in  her 
way.  Not  my  sort  —  a  bit  too  independent.  I  like 
a  girl  to  feel  a  man's  the  oak  to  her  ivy,  but " 

Uproarious  laughter  from  his  uncle  cut  Ned  short. 

"  Mighty  fine  oak  for  a  girl's  ivy  —  you  !  "  he 
said. 

"  You  wait,"  repeated  the  younger.  "  Anyway, 
Rupert  be  sweet  on  Milly,  and  father  knows  all  about 
it,  and  won't  hear  of  it.  So  there's  thunder  in  the  air 
for  the  moment." 

They  discussed  this  interesting  private  news,  but 
promised  Ned  not  to  retail  it  in  any  ear.  Then 
he  left  them  and,  with  Nathan,  returned  to  the  village. 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  35 

Ned,  undeterred  by  Mr.  Baskerville's  raillery, 
began  loudly  to  praise  Cora  as  soon  as  they  had  passed 
beyond  earshot  of  the  farmhouse-door. 

"  By  Jove,  she's  a  bowerly  maiden  and  no  mistake  ! 
Not  her  like  this  side  of  Plymouth,  I  do  believe. 
Haven't  seen  her  for  a  month  of  Sundays,  and  she's 
come  on  amazing." 

"  She's  a  very  handsome  girl  without  a  doubt," 
admitted  Nathan.  "  And  a  very  clever  girl  too  ;  but 
a  word  in  your  ear,  my  young  shaver :  you  mustn't 
look  that  way  once  and  for  all." 

"  Why  not,  if  I  choose  ?     I'm  a  free  man." 

"  You  may  be  —  now  —  more  shame  to  you.  But 
Cora  —  well,  your  cousin  Mark  be  first  in  the  field 
there.  A  word  to  the  wise  is  enough.  You'll  be 
doing  a  very  improper  thing  if  you  look  in  that 
quarter,  and  I  must  firmly  beg  you  won't,  for  every- 
body's sake." 

"Mark!" 

"  Mark.     And  a  very  good  chap  he  is  —  worth  fifty 

you. 

"  Mark !  "  repeated  Ned,  as  though  the  notion  was 
unthinkable.  "  I  should  have  guessed  that  he  would 
rather  have  run  out  of  the  country  than  lift  his  eyes 
to  a  girl!" 


CHAPTER   IV 

THE  Reverend  Dennis  Masterman  was  a  bachelor. 
Hecame  to  Shaugh  full  of  physical  energy  and  cer- 
tain hazy  resolutions  to  accomplish  notable  work 
among  a  neglected  people.  His  scholastic  career  was 
nugatory,  and  his  intellect  had  offered  no  bar  to  his 
profession.  He  was  physically  brave,  morally  infirm. 
Therefore  his  sister,  Alice  Masterman,  came  to  sup- 
port him  and  share  his  lot  and  complement  his  char- 
acter. She  might  indeed  fly  from  cows,  but  she 
would  not  fly  from  parochial  opposition.  She  was 
strong  where  he  was  weak.  They  were  young,  san- 
guine, and  of  gentle  birth.  They  enjoyed  private 
means,  but  were  filled  with  wholesome  ardour  to 
justify  existence  and  leave  the  world  better  than  they 
found  it.  Dennis  Masterman  possessed  interest,  and 
regarded  this,  his  first  cure,  as  a  stepping-stone  to 
better  things. 

Shaugh  Prior  was  too  small  for  his  natural  energies 
and  powers  of  endurance  —  so  he  told  his  sister;  but 
she  said  that  the  experience  would  be  helpful.  She 
also  suspected  that  reform  might  not  be  a  matter  of 
energy  alone. 

One  evening,  a  week  after  their  arrival,  they  were 
planning  the  campaign  and  estimating  the  value  of 
lay  helpers,  when  two  important  visitors  were  an- 
nounced. A  maiden  appeared  and  informed  the  clergy- 
man that  Thomas  Gollop  and  Eliza  Gollop  desired  to 
see  him. 

"  Show  them  into  the  common  room,"  said  he  ;  then 
he  twisted  a  Httle  bronze  cross  that  he  wore  at  his 
watchchain  and  regarded   Miss  Masterman. 

36 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  37 

"  The  parish  clerk  and  his  sister  —  I  wonder  if  you'd 
mind,  Alice  ?  "   he  asked. 

For  answer  she  put  down  her  work. 

"  Certainly.  Since  you  saw  Joe  Voysey  alone  and, 
not  only  engaged  him,  but  promised  he  might  have 
a  boy  for  the  weeding,  I  feel  —  well,  you  are  a  great 
deal  too  easy,  Dennis.  Gollop  is  a  very  masterful 
person,  clearly,  and  his  sister,  so  I  am  told,  is  just 
the  same.  You  certainly  must  not  see  women  alone. 
They'll  get  everything  they  want  out  of  you." 

"  Of  course,  one  wishes  to  strike  a  genial  note,"  he 
explained.  "  First  impressions  count  for  such  a  lot 
with  common  people." 

"  Be  genial  by  all  means ;  I  say  nothing  against 
that." 

"  Let's  tackle  them,  then.  Gollop's  a  tremendous 
Conservative,  but  we  must  get  Liberal  ideas  into  him, 
if  we  can  —  in  reason." 

Dennis  Masterman  was  tall,  square-shouldered  and 
clean-shaven.  He  regarded  himself  as  somewhat  ad- 
vanced, but  had  no  intention  of  sowing  his  opinions 
upon  the  parish  before  the  soil  was  prepared.  He 
considered  his  character  to  be  large-minded,  tolerant, 
and  sane;  and  for  a  man  of  eight-and-twenty  he  en- 
joyed fair  measure  of  these  virtues. 

His  sister  was  plain,  angular,  and  four  years  older 
than  Dennis.  She  wore  double  eyeglasses  and  had  a 
grufF  voice  and  a  perceptible  beard. 

The  Gollops  rose  as  the  vicar  and  his  sister  ap- 
peared. Miss  Gollop  was  shorter  and  stouter  than 
her  brother,  but  resembled  him. 

"  Good  evening,  your  reverence ;  good  evening, 
miss,"  said  the  parish  clerk.  "  This  is  my  sister. 
Miss  Eliza.  For  faith,  hope,  and  charity  she  stand- 
eth.  In  fact,  a  leading  light  among  us,  though  I  say 
it  as  should  not." 


38  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

Mr.  Masterman  shook  hands  with  the  woman ;  his 
sister  bowed  only. 

"  And  what  does   Miss  GoUop  do  ?  "  asked  Dennis. 

"  'Twould  be  easier  to  say  what  she  don't  do,"  an- 
swered Thomas.  "  She's  butt-woman  to  begin  with, 
or  as  you  would  call  it,  *  pew-opener.'  Then  she's 
sick-nurse  to  the  parish,  and  she's  midwife,  and,  when 
free,  she'll  do  chores  or  cook  for  them  as  want  her. 
And  she's  got  a  knowledge  and  understanding  of  the 
people  round  these  parts  as  won't  be  beaten.  She 
was  Mr.  Valletort's  right  hand,  wasn't  you,  Eliza  ^ " 

"  So  he  said,"  answered  Miss  Gollop.  She  was  not 
self-conscious,  but  bore  herself  as  Fame's  familiar  and 
one  accustomed  to  admiration.  She  had  estimated  the 
force  of  the  clergyman's  character  from  his  first  ser- 
mon, and  judged  that  her  brother  would  be  a  match 
for  him.  Now  she  covertly  regarded  Miss  Master- 
man,  and  perceived  that  here  must  lie  any  issue  of 
battle  that  might  arise. 

"  Do  you  abide  along  with  your  brother,  miss,  or  be 
you  just  settling  him  into  the  vicarage  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  I  live  with  him." 

Miss  Gollop  inclined  her  h,ead. 

"And  I'm  sure  I  hope,  if  I  can  serve  you  any  way 
at  any  time,  as  you'll  let  me  know." 

"  Thank  you.  Everybody  can  serve  us  :  we  want 
help  from  one  and  all,"  said  Mr.  Masterman. 

"  Ezacally  so  !  "  said  Thomas.  "  And  you  must 
larn  each  man's  value  from  those  that  know  it  —  not 
by  bitter  experience.  Likewise  with  the  women. 
My  sister  can  tell  you,  to  threepence  a  day,  what 
any  female  in  this  parish  be  good  for ;  and  as  to  the 
men,  you'll  do  very  well  to  come  to  me.  I  know  'em 
all  —  old  and  young  —  and  their  characters  and  their 
points  —  good  and  bad,  crooked  and  odd.  For  we've 
got  some  originals  among  us,  and  I'm  not  going  to 
deny  it,  haven't  us,  Eliza  ^  " 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  39 

"  Every  place  have,"  she  said. 

"Might  we  sit  down?"  asked  the  man.  "  We'm 
of  the  bungy  breed,  as  you  see,  and  not  so  clever  in 
our  breathing  as  we  could  wish.  But  we'm  here  to  go 
through  the  whole  law  and  the  prophets,  so  to  speak, 
and  we  can  do  it  better  sitting." 

"  Please  sit  down,"  answered  Dennis.  Then  he 
looked  at  his  watch.  "  I  can  give  you  an  hour," 
he  said.  "But  I'm  going  to  ride  over  to  Bickleigh 
at  nine  o'clock,  to  see  the  vicar  there." 

"  And  a  very  nice  gentleman  you'll  find  him,"  de- 
clared Thomas.  "  Of  course,  Bickleigh  be  but  a  little 
matter  beside  Shaugh  Prior.  We  bulk  a  good  deal 
larger  in  the  eyes  of  the  nation,  and  can  hold  our 
heads  so  much  the  higher  in  consequence ;  but  the 
Reverend  Coaker  is  a  very  good,  humble-minded 
man,  and  knows  his  place  in  a  way  that's  a  high  ex- 
ample to  the  younger  clergymen." 

Miss  Masterman  cleared  her  throat,  but  her  voice  was 
none  the  less  gruff. 

"  Perhaps  you  will  now  tell  us  what  you  have  come 
for.     We  are  busy  people,"  she  said. 

Her  brother  deprecated  this  brevity  and  tried  to  tone 
it  down,  but  Thomas  accepted  the  lady's  statement  with 
great  urbanity. 

"  Miss  be  right,"  he  answered.  "  Busy  as  bees,  I 
warrant  —  same  as  me  and  my  own  sister  here.  She 
don't  wear  out  many  chairs,  do  you,  Eliza  ?  " 

"  Not  many,"  said  Miss  Gollop.  "  I  always  say, 
*  Let's  run  about  in  this  world ;  plenty  of  time  to  sit 
down  in  the  next. 

"  I  may  tell  you,"  added  Thomas  kindly,  "  that 
your  first  sermon  went  down  very  suent.  From  where 
I  sits,  along  by  the  font,  I  can  get  a  good  look  across 
the  faces,  and  the  important  people,  the  Baskervilles 
and  the  Lillicraps  and  the  Luscombes  and  the   Mum- 


4° 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS 


fords  —  one  and  all  listened  to  every  word,  and  nodded 
now  and  again.     You'll  be  glad  to  know  that." 

"  Some  thought  'twas  a  sermon  they'd  heard  afore, 
however,"  said  Miss  GoUop  ;  "  but  no  doubt  they  was 
wrong." 

"Quite  wrong,"  declared  Dennis  warmly.  "It  was 
a  sermon  written  only  the  night  before  I  preached  it. 
And  talking  of  the  font " 

"  Yes,  of  course,  you've  marked  the  famous  font-cover 
over  the  holy  basin,  I  suppose?"  interrupted  Mr.  Gol- 
lop.  "  'Tis  the  joy  and  pride  of  the  church-town,  I 
assure  you.  Not  another  like  it  in  the  world,  they 
say.  Learned  men  come  all  across  England  to  see 
it  —  as  well  they  may." 

The  famous  font-cover,  with  its  eight  little  snub-nosed 
saints  and  the  Abbot  elevated  in  the  midst,  was  a  special 
glory  of  St.  Edward's. 

"  I  meant  to  speak  of  that,"  said  the  clergyman. 
"  The  figure  at  the  top  has  got  more  than  his  proper 
vestments  on,  Gollop.  In  fact,  he's  wrapped  up  in 
cobwebs.  That  is  not  worthy  of  us.  Please  see  they 
are  cleaned  off," 

"  I  hadn't  noticed  them;  but  since  you  say  so  —  I'll 
look  to  it  myself.  Where  the  vamp-dish  be  concerned 
I  allow  none  to  meddle.  It  shall  be  done  ;  but  I  must 
say  again  that  I  haven't  noticed  any  cobwebs  —  not 
last  Sunday.      Have  you,  Eliza  ?  "  said  Thomas. 

"  No,  I  have  not,"  answered  his  sister. 

"  The  dirt  has  clearly  been  there  for  months,"  re- 
marked Miss  Masterman. 

There  was  a  painful  pause,  during  which  Miss 
Gollop  gazed  at  the  vicar's  sister  and  then  at  the  vicar. 

"  'Tis  a  well-known  fact  that  spiders  will  spin,"  she 
said  vaguely,  but  not  v/ithout  intention.  The  other 
woman  ignored  her  and  turned  to  Thomas. 

"  Will  you  be  so  good  as  to  proceed  ?  " 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  41 

"  Yes,  and  gladly,  miss,"  he  answered.  "  And  I'll 
begin  with  the  Gollops,  since  they've  done  as  much  for 
this  parish  as  anybody,  living  or  dead.  My  father  was 
parish  clerk  afore  me,  and  a  very  remarkable  man, 
wasn't  he,  Eliza  ?  " 

"  He  was." 

"  A  remarkable  man  with  a  large  faith  in  the  power  of 
prayer,  was  father.  You  don't  see  such  faith  now,  worse 
luck.  But  he  believed  more  than  even  I  hold  to,  or 
my  sister,  either.  You  might  say  that  he  wasn't  right 
always;  but  none  ever  dared  to  doubt  the  high  religious 
quality  of  the  man.  But  there  he  was  —  a  pillar  of  the 
Church  and  State,  as  they  say.  He  used  to  help  his 
money  a  bit  by  the  power  of  prayer  ;  and  they  fetched 
childer  sick  of  the  thrush  to  him  ;  and  he'd  tak  'em  up 
the  church  tower  and  hold  'em  over  the  battlements, 
north,  south,  east,  and  west  —  while  he  said  the  Lord's 
Prayer  four  times.  He'd  get  a  shilling  by  it  every 
time,  and  was  known  to  do  twenty  of 'em  in  a  good 
year,  though  I  never  heard  'twas  a  very  quick  cure. 
But  faith  moves  mountains,  and  he  may  have  done 
more  good  than  appeared  to  human  eyes.  And  then 
in  his  age,  he  very  near  let  a  heavy  babby  drop  over 
into  the  churchyard — just  grabbed  hold  of  un  by  a 
miracle  and  saved  un.  So  that  proper  terrified  the  old 
man,  and  he  never  done  another  for  fear  of  some  lasting 
misfortune.  Not  but  what  a  fewdevilish-natured  people 
said  that  if  'twas  knowed  he  let  the  childer  fall  now  and 
again,  he'd  brisk  up  his  business  a  hundred  per  centum. 
Which  shows  the  evil-mindedness  of  human  nature." 

"  I'll  have  no  gross  superstition  of  that  sort  here," 
said  Mr.  Masterman  firmly. 

"  No  more  won't  I,"  answered  Thomas.  "'Other 
times,  other  manners,'  as  the  saying  is.  Have  no 
fear.  The  church  is  very  safe  with  me  and  Eliza  for 
watch-dogs.     Well,   so   much  for   my  father.     There 


42 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS 


was  only  us  two,  and  we  never  married  —  too  busy 
for  that.  And  we've  done  no  little  for  Shaugh  Prior, 
as  will  be  better  told  you  in  good  time  by  other 
mouths  than  ours." 

He  stopped  to  take  breath,  and  Miss  Masterman 
spoke. 

"  My  brother  will  tell  you  that  with  regard  to  parish 
clerks  the  times  are  altering  too,"  she  said. 

"  And  don't  I  know  it .?  "  he  answered.  "  Why, 
good  powers,  you  can't  get  a  clerk  for  love  or  money 
nowadays !  They'm  regular  dying  out.  '  He'll  be 
thankful  he've  got  one  of  the  good  old  sort,'  I  said 
to  my  sister.  *  For  he'd  have  had  to  look  beyond 
Dartymoor  for  such  another  as  me.'  And  so  he 
would." 

"That's  true,"  declared  Miss  Gollop. 

"  I  mean  that  the  congregation  takes  the  place  of 
the  clerk  in  most  modern  services,"  continued  Miss 
Masterman.  "  In  point  of  fact,  we  shall  not  want 
exactly  what  you  understand  by  a  *  clerk.'  *  Other 
times,  other  manners,'  as  you  very  wisely  remarked 
just  now." 

Mr.  Gollop  stared. 

"  Not  want  a  clerk  !  "  he  said.  "  Woman  alive, 
you  must  be  daft !  " 

" I  believe  not,"  answered  Miss  Masterman.  "  How- 
ever, what  my  brother  has  got  to  say  regarding  his  in- 
tentions can  come  later.     For  the  present  he  will  hear 

>> 
you. 

"  If  you  don't  want  a  clerk,  I've  done,"  answered 
Mr.  Gollop  blankly.  "  But  I'll  make  bold  to  think 
you  can't  ezacally  mean  that.  Us'll  leave  it,  and  I'll 
tell  my  tale  about  the  people.  The  Lillicraps  be  a 
harmless  folk,  and  humble  and  fertile  as  coneys. 
You'll  have  no  trouble  along  with  them.  The  Bas- 
kervilles  be  valuable  and  powerful;   and  Mr.  Hum- 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  43 

phrey  and  his  son  is  Church,  and  Mr.  Vivian  and  his 
family  is  Church  also,  and  his  darters  sing  in  the 
choir." 

"  We  shall  manage  without  women  in  the  choir," 
said  Miss  Masterman. 

"  You  may  think  so,  but  I  doubt  It,"  answered  Eliza 
GoUop  almost  fiercely.  "  You'll  have  to  manage  with- 
out anybody  in  the  church  also,  if  you  be  for  up-turn- 
ing the  whole  order  of  divine  service  !  "  She  was 
excited,  and  her  large  bosom  heaved. 

"Not  up-turning  —  not  up-turning,"  declared  the 
clergyman.  "  Call  it  reorganisation.  Frankly,  I  pro- 
pose a  surpliced  choir.  I  have  the  bishop's  permis- 
sion;   he  wishes  it.      Now,  go  on." 

"Then  the  Lord  help  you,"  said  Thomas.  "We'd 
better  be  going,  Eliza.  We've  heard  almost  enough 
for  one  evening." 

"  Be  reasonable,"  urged  Miss  Masterman  with  ad- 
mirable self-command.  "  We  are  here  to  do  our 
duty.  We  hope  and  expect  to  be  helped  by  all  sen- 
sible people  —  not  hindered.  Let  Mr.  Gollop  tell  us 
what  he  came  to  tell  us." 

"Well  —  as  to  reason  —  I  ask  no  more,  but  where 
is  it  ? "  murmured  Thomas.  "  'Twas  the  Basker- 
villes,"  he  continued,  wiping  his  forehead.  "  The 
other  of  'em  —  Nathan  —  be  unfortunately  a  chapel 
member ;  and  if  you  be  going  to  play  these  here  May 
games  in  the  House  of  the  Lord,  I'm  very  much 
afeared  he'll  draw  a  good  few  after  him.  They  won't 
stand  it  —  mark  me." 

"  Where  do  the  people  at  Undershaugh  worship  ?  I 
did  not  see  Mrs.  Lintern  and  her  family  last  Sunday." 

"  They'm  all  chapel  too." 

Mr.  Masterman  nodded. 

"  Thank  you  for  these  various  facts.  Is  there  any- 
thing more  ?  " 


44  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

"  I've  only  just  begun.  But  I  corned  with  warn- 
ings chiefly.  There  be  six  Radicals  in  this  parish, 
and  only  six." 

"  Though  the  Lord  knows  how  many  there  will  be 
when  they  hear  about  the  choir,"  said  Eliza  Gollop. 

"  I'm  an  old-fashioned  Liberal  myself,"  declared 
the  vicar.  "  But  I  hope  your  Radicals  are  sound 
churchmen,  whatever  else  they  may  be." 

"  Humphrey  Baskerville  is  —  and  so's  his  son." 

"  Is  that  young  Mark  Baskerville  ?  " 

"  Yes  —  tenor  bell  among  the  ringers.  A  very 
uneven-minded  man.  He's  a  wonderful  ringer  and 
wrapped  up  in  tenor  bell,  as  if  'twas  a  heathen  idol. 
In  fact,  he'm  not  the  good  Christian  he  might  be,  and 
he'll  ring  oftener  than  he'll  pray.  Then  Saul  Lus- 
combe  to  Trowlesworthy  Warren  —  farmer  and  rab- 
bit-catcher—  be  a  very  hard  nut,  and  so's  his  man. 
Jack  Head.  You  won't  get  either  of  them  inside  the 
church.  They  say  in  their  wicked  way  they  ain't  got 
no  need  for  sleeping  after  breakfast  of  a  Sunday  — 
atheists,  in  fact.  The  other  labouring  man  from 
Trowlesworthy  is  a  good  Christian,  however.  He 
can  read,  but  'tis  doubtful  whether  he  can  write." 

"  You'll  have  to  go  to  keep  your  appointment, 
Dennis,"  remarked  his  sister. 

"  Plenty  of  time.  Is  there  anything  more  that's 
particularly  important,   Gollop  ?  " 

"  Lots  more.     Still,  if  I'm  to  be  shouted  down  every 

minute I  comed  to  encourage  and  fortify  you. 

I  comed  to  tell  you  to  have  no  fear,  because  me  and 
sister  was  on  your  side,  and  always  ready  to  fight  to 
the  death  for  righteousness.  But  you've  took  the 
wind  out  of  our  sails,  in  a  manner  of  speaking.  If 
you  ban't  going  to  walk  in  the  old  paths,  I'm  terrible 
afraid  you'll  find  us  against  you." 

"  This  is  impertinence,"  said  Miss  Masterman. 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  45 

"  Not  at  all,"  answered  the  clerk's  sister.  "  It's 
sense.  'Tis  a  free  country,  and  if  you'm  going  to  set 
a  lot  of  God-fearing,  right-minded,  sensible  people  by 
the  ears,  the  sin  be  on  your  shoulders.  You'd  best 
to  come  home,  Thomas." 

Mr.  Masterman  looked  helplessly  at  his  watch. 

"We  shall  soon  arrive  at — at  —  a  modus  vivendi" 
he  said. 

"  I  don't  know  what  that  may  be,  your  reverence," 
she  answered  ;  "  but  if  'tis  an  empty  church,  and  sour 
looks,  and  trouble  behind  every  hedge,  then  you 
certainly  will  arrive  at  it  —  and  even  sooner  than  you 
think  for." 

"He's  going  to  give  ear  to  the  Radicals  —  'tis 
too  clear,"  moaned  Thomas,  as  he  rose  and  picked  up 
his  hat. 

"  I  can  only  trust  that  you  two  good  people  do  not 
represent  the  parish,"  continued  the  vicar. 

"  You'll  terrible  soon  find  as  we  do,"  said  Miss 
GoUop. 

"  So  much  the  worse.  However,  it  is  well  that  we 
understand  one  another.  Next  Sunday  I  shall  invite 
my  leading  parishioners  to  meet  me  in  the  schoolroom 
on  the  following  evening.  I  shall  then  state  my  in- 
tentions, and  listen  to  the  opinions  and  objections  of 
every  man  among  you." 

"  And  only  the  men  will  be  invited  to  the  meeting," 
added  Miss  Masterman. 

"  'Tis  a  parlous  come-along-of-it,"  moaned  the 
parish  clerk.  "  I  meant  well.  You  can  bear  me  out, 
Eliza,  that  I  meant  well  —  never  man  meant  better." 

"  Good  evening,"  said  Miss  Masterman,  and  left 
them. 

"  Be  sure  that  we  shall  soon  settle  down,"  prophe- 
sied the  vicar.  "  I  know  you  mean  well,  Gollop  ;  and 
I  mean  well,  too.     Where  sensible   people    are   con- 


46  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

cerned,  friction  is  reduced  to  a  minimum.  We  shall 
very  soon  understand  one  another  and  respect  one 
another's  opinions." 

"  If  you  respect  people's  opinions,  you  abide  by 
'em,"  declared  Miss  Gollop. 

"  Us  shan't  be  able  to  keep  the  cart  on  the  wheels  — 
not  with  a  night-gowned  choir,"  foretold  her  brother. 

Then  Dennis  saw  them  to  the  door ;  they  took 
their  leave,  and  as  they  went  down  the  vicarage  drive, 
their  voices  bumbled  together,  hke  two  slow,  shard- 
borne  beetles  droning  on  the  night. 


CHAPTER   V 

BOTH  the  yeoman  and  gentle  families  of  Devon 
have  undergone  a  wide  and  deep  disintegration 
during  the  recent  past.  Many  are  swept  away, 
and  the  downfall  dates  back  beyond  the  eighteenth 
century,  when  war,  dice,  and  the  bottle  laid  founda- 
tions of  subsequent  ruin  ;  but  the  descendants  of  many 
an  ancient  stock  are  still  with  us,  and  noble  names 
shall  be  found  at  the  plough-handle  ;  historical  patro- 
nymics, on  the  land. 

The  race  of  Baskerville  had  borne  arms  and  stood 
for  the  king  in  Stuart  times.  The  family  was  broken 
in  the  Parliamentary  Wars  and  languished  for  cer- 
tain centuries ;  then  it  took  heart  and  lifted  head 
once  more.  The  three  brothers  who  now  carried  on 
their  line  were  doubly  enriched,  for  their  father  had 
died  in  good  case  and  left  a  little  fortune  behind  him  ; 
while  an  uncle,  blessed  with  some  tincture  of  the  gipsy 
blood  that  had  flowed  into  the  native  stock  a  hundred 
years  before,  found  Devon  too  small  a  theatre  for  his 
activities  and  migrated  to  Australia.  He  died  a  bache- 
lor, and  left  his  money  to  his  nephews. 

Thus  the  trio  began  life  under  fortunate  circum- 
stances ;  and  it  appeared  that  two  had  prospered  and 
justified  existence  ;  while  concerning  the  other  little 
could  be  affirmed,  save  a  latent  and  general  dislike 
founded  on  vague  hearsay. 

They  were  different  as  men  well  could  be,  yet  each 
displayed  strong  individuality  and  an  assertive  tem- 
perament. All  inherited  some  ancestral  strength, 
but  disparities  existed  between  their  tastes,  their  judg- 
ments, and  their  ambitions. 

47 


48  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

Vivian  Baskerville  was  generous,  self-opinionated, 
and  kind-hearted.  He  loved,  before  all  things,  work, 
yet,  in  direct  opposition  to  this  ruling  passion,  tolerated 
and  spoiled  a  lazy  eldest  son.  From  the  rest  of  his 
family  he  exacted  full  measure  of  labour  and  very 
perfect  obedience.  He  was  a  man  of  crystallised 
opinions  —  one  who  resented  change,  and  built  on 
blind  tradition. 

Nathan  Baskerville  had  a  volatile  and  swift-minded 
spirit.  He  was  sympathetic,  but  not  so  sympathetic 
as  his  manner  made  him  appear.  He  had  a  histrionic 
knack  to  seem  more  than  he  felt ;  yet  this  was  not 
all  acting,  but  a  mixture  of  art  and  instinct.  He  trusted 
to  tact,  to  a  sense  of  humour  with  its  accompanying 
tolerance,  and  to  swift  appraisal  of  human  character. 
Adaptability  was  his  watchword. 

Humphrey  Baskerville  personified  doubt.  His 
apparent  chill  indifference  crushed  the  young  and 
irritated  the  old.  An  outward  gloominess  of  manner 
and  a  pessimistic  attitude  to  affairs  sufficed  to  turn 
the  folk  from  him.  While  he  seemed  the  spirit  of 
negation  made  alive,  he  was,  nevertheless,  a  steadfast 
Christian,  and  his  dark  mind,  chaotic  though  it  con- 
tinued to  be  even  into  age,  enjoyed  one  precious 
attribute  of  chaos  and  continued  plastic  and  open  to 
impressions.  None  understood  this  quality  in  him. 
He  did  not  wholly  understand  it  himself.  But  he 
was  ever  seeking  for  content,  and  the  search  had  thus 
far  taken  him  into  many  fruitless  places  and  landed 
him  in  blind  alleys  not  a  few. 

These  adventures,  following  his  wife's  death,  had 
served  to  sour  him  in  some  directions  ;  and  the  late 
ripening  of  a  costive  but  keen  intelligence  did  not  as 
yet  appear  to  his  neighbours.  It  remained  to  be  seen 
whether  time  would  ever  achieve  a  larger  wisdom, 
patience,  and    understanding  in  him  —  whether    con- 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS 


49 


siderable  mental  endowments  would  ultimately  lift 
him  nearer  peace  and  content,  or  plunge  him  deeper 
•into  despondence  and  incorrigible  gloom.  He  was 
as  interesting  as  Nathan  was  attractive  and  Vivian, 
obvious. 

The  attitude  of  the  brothers  each  to  the  other  may 
be  recorded  in  a  sentence.  Vivian  immensely  admired 
the  innkeeper  and  depended  no  little  upon  his  judg- 
ment in  temporal  affairs,  but  Humphrey  he  did  not 
understand ;  Nathan  patronised  his  eldest  brother  and 
resented  Humphrey's  ill-concealed  dislike ;  while  the 
master  of  Hawk  House  held  Vivian  in  regard,  as  an 
honest  and  single-minded  man,  but  did  not  share  the 
world's  esteem  for  Nathan.  They  always  preserved 
reciprocal  amenities  and  were  accounted  on  friendly 
terms. 

Upon  the  occasion  of  the  eldest  brother's  seventieth 
birthday,  both  Vivian  and  Nathan  stood  at  the  outer 
gate  of  Cadworthy  and  welcomed  Humphrey  when  he 
alighted  off  his  semi-blind  pony. 

Years  sat  lightly  on  the  farmer.  He  was  a  man  of 
huge  girth  and  height  above  the  average.  He  had  a 
red  moon  face,  with  a  great  fleshy  jowl  set  in  white 
whiskers.  His  brow  was  broad  and  low ;  his  small, 
pig-like  eyes  twinkled  with  kindliness.  It  was  a  fa- 
vourite jest  with  him  that  he  weighed  within  a  stone 
or  two  as  much  as  his  brothers  put  together. 

They  shook  hands  and  went  in,  while  Mark  and 
Rupert  took  the  ponies.  The  three  brothers  all  wore 
Sunday  black ;  and  Vivian  had  a  yellow  tie  on  that 
made  disharmony  with  the  crimson  of  his  great  cheeks. 
This  mountain  of  a  man  walked  between  the  others, 
and  Nathan  came  to  his  ear  and  Humphrey  did  not 
reach  his  shoulder.  The  last  looked  a  mere  shadow 
beside  his  brother. 

"Seventy  year  to-day,  and  have  moved  two  ton  of 


50  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

sacks  —  a  hundredweight  to  the  sack —  'twixt  breaksis 
and  noon.  And  never  felt  better  than  this  minute," 
he  told  them. 

"  'Tis  folly,  all  the  same  —  this  heavy  work  that 
you  delight  in,"  declared  Nathan.  "  I'm  sure  Hum- 
phrey's of  my  mind.  You  oughtn't  to  do  such  a  lot 
of  young  man's  work.  'Tis  foolish  and  quite  uncalled 
for." 

"The  young  men  can't  do  it,  maybe,"  said  Hum- 
phrey. "Vivian  be  three  men  rolled  into  one  —  with 
the  strength  of  three  for  all  his  threescore  and  ten 
years.  But  you're  in  the  right.  He's  too  old  for 
these  deeds.  There's  no  call  for  weight-lifting  and  all 
this  sweating  labour,  though  he  is  such  a  mighty  man 
of  his  hands  still." 

Mr.  Baskerville  of  Cadworthy  laughed. 

"  You  be  such  brainy  blids  —  the  pair  of  you  — 
that  you  haven't  got  no  patience  with  me  and  my 
schoolboy  fun.  But,  then,  I  never  had  no  intellects 
like  you  —  all  ran  into  muscle  and  bone.  And  'tis 
my  pleasure  to  show  the  young  generation  what  strength 
be.  The  Reverend  Masterman  preached  from  a  very 
onusual  text  Sunday,  *  There  were  giants  in  those 
days,'  it  was  —  or  some  such  words,  if  my  memory 
serves  me.  And  Rupert  and  May,  as  were  along 
with  me,  said  as  surely  I  belonged  to  the  giant  race  !  " 

He  laughed  with  a  loud,  simple  explosion  of  ingenu- 
ous merriment,  and  led  the  way  to  the  parlour. 

There  his  wife,  in  black  silk,  welcomed  her  brothers- 
in-law  and  received  their  congratulations.  Humphrey 
fumbled  at  a  parcel  which  he  produced  from  his  breast. 
He  untied  the  string,  wound  it  up,  and  put  it  into  his 
pocket. 

"  'Tis  a  book  as  I  heard  well  spoken  of,"  he  said. 
"  There's  only  one  Book  for  you  and  me,  I  believe, 
Vivian ;  but  an  old  man  as  I   know  came  by  this,  and 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  51 

he  said  'twas  light  in  his  darkness ;  so  I  went  and 
bought  a  copy  for  you  by  way  of  something  to  mark 
the  day.  Very  Hke  'tis  all  rubbish,  and  if  so  you  can 
throw  it  behind  the  fire." 

"  Sermons,  and  good  ones  without  a  doubt,"  an- 
swered the  farmer.  "  I'm  very  fond  of  sermons,  and 
I'll  lay  on  to  'em  without  delay  and  let  you  know  what 
I  think.  Not  that  my  opinion  of  such  a  thing  do 
count ;  but  I  can  tell  to  a  hair  if  they'm  within  the 
meaning  of  Scripture,  and  that  be  all  that  matters. 
And  thank  you  kindly,  I'm  sure." 

"  Tom  Gollop's  got  terrible  down-daunted  about 
Mr.  Masterman,"  said  Nathan.  "  He  says  that  your 
parson  is  a  Radical,  and  will  bring  down  dreadful  things 
on  the  parish." 

"Old  fool,"  answered  Humphrey.  "'Tis  just  what 
we  want,  within  the  meaningof  reason,  to  have  a  few  of 
the  cobwebs  swept  away." 

"  But  you're  a  Radical  too,  and  all  for  sweeping 
away,"  argued  his  eldest  brother  doubtfully. 

"  I'm  for  folly  and  nonsense  being  swept  away, 
certainly.  I'm  for  all  this  cant  about  humility  and  our 
duty  to  our  superiors  being  swept  away.  I  hate  to  see 
chaps  pulling  their  hair  to  other  men  no  better  than 
themselves,  and  all  that  knock-kneed,  servile  rubbish." 

Nathan  felt  this  to  be  a  challenge. 

"  We  take  off  our  hats  to  the  blood  in  a  man's 
veins,  if 'tis  blue  enough  —  not  to  the  man." 

"And  hate  the  man  all  the  time,  maybe  —  and  so 
act  a  lie  when  we  cap  to  him  and  pretend  what  isn't  true." 

"  You  go  too  far,"  declared  Nathan. 

"  I  say  that  we  hate  anything  that's  stronger  than 
we  are,"  continued  his  brother.  "  We  hate  brains 
that's  stronger  than  our  own,  or  pockets  that's  deeper. 
The  only  folk  that  we  smile  upon  honestly  be  those 
we  reckon  greater  fools  than  ourselves." 


52  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

Vivian  laughed  loud  at  this. 

"  What  a  sharp  tongue  the  man  hath  ! "  he  ex- 
claimed. "  But  he's  wrong,  for  all  that.  For  if  I 
only  smiled  at  them  who  had  less  brains  than  myself, 
I  should  go  glum  from  morn  till  night." 

"  Don't  say  it,  father  !  "  cried  his  wife.  "  Too 
humble-minded  you  be,  and  always  will  be." 

"  'Tis  only  a  very  wise  man  that  knows  himself  for 
a  fool,  all  the  same,"  declared  Nathan.  "As  for 
Humphrey  here,  maybe  'tis  because  men  hate  brains 
bigger  than  their  own,  as  he  says,  that  he  hasn't  got  a 
larger  circle  of  friends  himself.  We  all  know  he's  the 
cleverest  man  among  us." 

Humphrey  was  about  to  speak  again,  but  restrained  the 
inclination  and  turned  to  his  nieces  who  now  appeared. 

Polly  lacked  character  and  existed  as  the  right  hand 
of  her  mother ;  but  May  took  physically  after  Vivian, 
and  represented  his  first  joy  and  the  apple  of  his  eye. 
She  was  a  girl  of  great  breadth  and  bulk  every  way. 
The  beauty  of  youth  still  belonged  to  her  clean  white 
and  red  face,  and  her  yellow  hair  was  magnificent ;  but 
it  required  no  prophet  to  foretell  that  poor  May,  when 
her  present  colt-like  life  of  physical  activity  decreased, 
must  swiftly  grow  too  vast  for  her  own  comfort  or  the 
temptation  of  the  average  lover. 

The  youngest  of  the  family — his  Uncle  Humphrey's 
namesake  —  followed  his  sisters.  He  was  a  brown 
boy,  well  set  up  and  shy.  Of  all  men  he  feared  the 
elder  Humphrey  most.      Now  he  shook  hands  evasively. 

"  Don't  stare  at  the  ceiling  and  the  floor,  but  look 
me  in  the  eyes.  I  hate  a  chap  as  glances  athwart  his 
nose  like  that,"  said  the  master  of  Hawk  House. 
Whereat  the  lesser  Humphrey  scowled  and  flushed. 
Then  he  braced  himself  for  the  ordeal  and  stared 
steadily   into   his   uncle's   eyes. 

The   duel   lasted  full  two  minutes,   and   the  boy's 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS 


S3 


father   laughed    and    applauded    him.     At  last  young 
Humphrey's   eyes   fell. 

"  That's  better,"  said  Humphrey  the  elder.  "  You 
learn  to  keep  your  gaze  on  the  eyes  of  other  people, 
my  lad,  if  you  want  to  know  the  truth  about  'em.  A 
voice  will  teach  you  a  lot,  but  the  eyes  are  the  book 
for  me  —  eh,  Nathan  ?  "  ^ 

"  No  doubt  there's  a  deal  in  that." 

"  And  if  'twas  followed,  perhaps  we  shouldn't  take 
our  hats  off  to  certain  people  quite  so  often  as  we  do," 
added  Humphrey,  harking  back  to  the  old  grievance. 
"  What's  the  good  of  being  respectful  to  those  you 
don't  respect  and  ought  not  to  respect  ? " 

"  The  man's  hungry  !  "  said  Vivian.  "  'Tis  starva- 
tion making  him  so  crusty  and  so  clever.  Come  now, 
ban't  dinner  ready  ?  " 

Mrs.  Baskerville  had  departed  and  Polly  with  her. 

"  Hurry  '  em  up,"  cried  Vivian,  and  his  youngest 
son  hastened  to  do  so. 

Meantime  Nathan,  who  was  also  hungry,  and  who 
also  desired  to  display  agility  of  mind  before  his  elder 
brother,  resumed  the  argument  with  Humphrey  and 
answered  his  last  question. 

"  Because  we've  everything  to  gain  by  being  civil, 
and  nought  to  gain  by  being  otherwise,  as  things  are 
nowadays.  Civility  costs  nothing  and  the  rich  expect 
it  of  the  poor,  and  gentle  expect  it  of  simple.  Why 
not  ?  You  can't  mar  them  by  being  rude  ;  but  you  can 
mar  yourself.  '  The  golden  rule  for  a  pushing  man  is 
to  be  well  thought  upon.'  That's  what  our  father 
used  to  say.  And  it's  sound  sense,  if  you  ask  me. 
Of  course,  I'm  not  speaking  for  us,  but  for  the  younger 
generation,  and  if  they  can  prosper  by  tact  and  civility 
to  their  betters,  why  not ,?  We  like  the  younger  and 
humbler  people  to  be  civil  to  us  ;  then  why  shouldn't 
they  be  civil  to  parson  and  squire  ?  " 


54  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

"How  if  parson  be  no  good,  and  squire  a  drinker 
or  a  rascal  ? " 

"  That's  neither  here  nor  there.  'Tis  their  calling 
and  rank  and  the  weight  behind  'em." 

"  Trash  !  "  said  Humphrey  sourly.  "  Let  every 
man  be  weighed  in  his  own  balance  and  show  himself 
what  he  is.  That's  what  I  demand.  Why  should 
we  pretend  and  give  people  the  credit  of  what  they 
stand  for,  if  they  don't  stand  for  it .?  " 

"  For  a  lot  of  reasons "  began  Nathan  ;  then  the 

boy  Humphrey  returned  to  say  that  dinner  was  ready. 

They  sat  down,  and  through  the  steam  that  rose 
from  a  dish  of  ducks  Humphrey  looked  at  Nathan 
and  spoke. 

"  What  reasons  ?  "  he  said.  "  For  your  credit's 
sake  you  can't  leave  it  there." 

"  If  you  will  have  it,  you  will  have  it  —  though  this 
isn't  the  time  or  place  ;  but  Vivian  must  blame  you, 
not  me.  Life's  largely  a  game  of  make-believe  and 
pretence,  and,  right  or  wrong,  we've  got  to  suffer  it. 
We  should  all  be  no  better  than  lonely  monkeys  or 
Red  Indians,  if  we  didn't  pretend  a  bit  more  than  we 
meant  and  say  a  bit  more  than  we'd  swear  to.  Mon- 
keys don't  pretend,  and  what's  the  result  ?  They've 
ail  gone  under." 

They  wrangled  until  the  food  was  on  the  plates, 
then  Vivian,  who  had  been  pufHng  out  his  cheeks, 
rolling  his  eyes  and  showing  uneasiness  in  other  ways, 
displayed  a  sudden  irritability. 

"  God  damn  it  1  "  he  cried.  "  Let's  have  no  more 
of  this  !  Be  the  meal  to  be  sarved  with  no  sauce  but 
all  this  blasted   nonsense?      Get  the  drink,  Rupert." 

Nathan  expressed  instant  regret  and  strove  to  lift  the 
tone  of  the  company.  But  the  cloud  did  not  pass  so 
easily.  Vivian  himself  soon  forgot  the  incident ;  his 
children  and  his  wife  found  it  difficult.     The  young 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  55 

people,  indeed,  maintained  a  very  dogged  taciturnity 
and  only  talked  among  themselves  in  subdued  tones. 
May  and  Polly  waited  upon  the  rest  between  the  inter- 
vals of  their  own  meal.  They  changed  the  dishes  and 
went  to  and  from  the  kitchen.  Rupert  and  his  young- 
est brother  helped  them,  but  Ned  did  not. 

Some  cheerfulness  returned  with  the  beer,  and  even 
Humphrey  Baskerville  strove  to  assist  the  general 
jollity;  but  he  lacked  the  power.  His  mind  was  of 
the  discomfortable  sort  that  cannot  suffer  opinions, 
believed  erroneous,  to  pass  unchallenged.  Sometimes 
he  expressed  no  more  than  doubt ;  sometimes  he  dis- 
sented forcibly  to  Nathan's  generalities.  But  after 
Vivian's  heat  at  the  beginning  of  the  entertainment, 
his  brother  from  *  The  White  Thorn '  was  cautious, 
and  took  care  to  raise  no  more  dust  of  controversy. 

The  talk  ran  on  the  new  vicar,  and  the  master  of 
Cadworthy  spoke  well  of  him. 

"  An  understanding  man,  and  for  my  part,  though  I 
can't  pretend  to  like  new  things,  yet  I  ban't  going  to 
quarrel  for  nothing.  And  if  he  likes  to  put  the  boys 
in  surplices  and  make  the  maidens  sit  with  the  congre- 
gation, I  don't  see  no  great  harm.  They  can  sing 
praises  to  God  wi'  their  noses  to  the  east  just  so  easy 
as  they  can  facing  north." 

"  Well  said,"  declared  Humphrey.  "  I've  no 
patience  with  such  fools  as  Gollop." 

"  As  one  outside  and  after  a  different  persuasion,  I 
can  look  on  impartial,"  declared  Nathan.  "  And  I 
think  with  you  both  that  Masterman  is  a  useful  and 
promising  man.  As  for  Gollop,  he's  the  sort  that 
can't  see  further  than  the  end  of  the  parish,  and  don't 
want  to  do  so." 

"  For  why  ?  He'd  tell  you  there's  nought  be- 
yond," said  Humphrey.  "  He  foxes  himself  to  think 
that  the  world  can  go  on  without  change.      He  fancies 


56  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

that  he  alone  of  us  all  be  a  solid  lighthouse,  stuck  up 
to  watch  the  waves  roll  by.  'Tis  a  sign  of  a  terrible 
weak  intellect  to  think  that  everybody's  changeable 
but  ourselves,  and  that  we  only  be  the  ones  that  know 
no  shadow  of  changing.  Yet  I've  seen  many  such 
men  —  with  a  cheerful  conceit  of  themselves  too." 

"There's  lots  like  that  —  common  as  blackberries 
in  my  bar,"  declared  Nathan.  "  Old  fellows  most 
times,  that  reckon  they  are  the  only  steadfast  creatures 
left  on  earth,  while  everybody  else  be  like  feathers 
blown  about  in  a  gale  of  change." 

"  Every  mortal  man  and  woman  be  bound  to 
change,"  answered  his  brother.  "  'Tis  the  law  of  na- 
ture. I'd  give  nought  for  a  man  of  hard  and  fast  opin- 
ions.    Such  stand  high  and  dry  behind  the  times." 

But  Vivian  would  not  allow  this. 

"  No,  no,  Humphrey;  that  won't  do.  If  us  wasn't 
fixed  and  firm,  the  world  couldn't  go  on." 

"  Vivian  means  we  must  have  a  lever  of  solid  opinions 
to  lift  our  load  in  the  world,"  explained  Nathan.  "  Of 
course,  no  grown  man  wants  to  be  flying  to  a  new  thing 
every  day  of  his  life,  like  the  young  people  do." 

"  The  lever's  the  Bible," declared  Humphrey.  "I've 
nought  to  do  with  any  man  who  goes  beyond  that;  but, 
outside  that,  there's  a  margin  for  change  as  the  world 
grows,  and  'tis  vain  to  run  your  life  away  from  the  new 
facts  the  wise  men  find  out." 

"  I  don't  hold  with  you,"  declared  Vivian.  "  At 
such  a  gait  us  would  never  use  the  same  soap  or  wear  the 
same  clothes  two  years  together.  If  you'm  goingto  run 
your  life  by  the  newspapers,  you'm  in  the  same  case  with 
the  chaps  and  the  donkey  in  the  fable.  What  father 
believed  and  held  to,  I  shall  believe  and  hold  to ;  for 
he  was  a  better  man  than  me  and  knowed  a  lot  more." 

Humphrey  shook  his  head. 

"  If  we  all  thought  so,  the  world  would  stand  still," 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  57 

he  replied.  "  'Tis  the  very  argument  pushed  in  the 
papers  to-day  about  teaching  the  young  people.  'Tis 
said  they  must  be  taught  just  what  their  parents  want 
for  'm  to  be  taught.  And  who  knows  best,  I  should 
like  to  know  —  the  parents  and  guardians,  as  have 
finished  their  learning  years  ago  and  be  miles  behind- 
hand in  their  knowledge,  or  the  schoolmasters  and 
mistresses  as  be  up  to  date  in  their  larning  and  full 
of  the  latest  things  put  into  books  ?  There's  no  stand- 
ing still  with  the  world  any  more  than  there's  standing 
still  with  the  sun.     It  can't  be.      Law's  against  it." 

"  We  must  have  change,"  admitted  Nathan. 

"  For  sure  we  must.  'Tis  the  only  way  to  keep 
sweet  —  like  water  running  forward.  If  you  block 
it  in  a  pond,  it  goes  stagnant ;  and  if  you  block  your 
brains,  they  rot." 

"  Then  let  us  leave  it  at  that,"  said  Vivian's  wife. 
"  And  now,  if  you  men  have  done  your  drink,  you  can 
go  off  and  smoke  while  we  tidy  up," 

But  there  was  yet  a  duty  to  perform,  and  Nathan  rose 
and  whispered  in  Humphrey's  ear. 

"  I  think  the  time's  come  for  drinking  his  health. 
It  must  be  done.     Will  you  propose  it?  " 

His  brother  answered  aloud. 

"  Nathan  wants  for  me  to  propose  your  good  health, 
Vivian.  But  I  ban't  going  to.  That  sort  of  thing  isn't 
in  my  line.  I  wish  you  nought  but  well,  and  there's 
an  end  on't." 

"Then  I'll  say  a  word,"  declared  the  innkeeper,  re- 
turning to  his  place.  "  Fill  your  glasses  — just  a  drop 
more,  Hester,  you  must  drink  —  isn't  it  to  your  own 
husband?  And  I  say  here,  in  this  family  party,  that 
'tis  a  proud  and  a  happy  thing  to  have  for  the  head 
of  the  family  such  a  man  as  our  brother  —  your  hus- 
band, Hester ;  and  your  father,  you  boys  and  girls. 
Long  may  he  be  spared  to  stand  up  among  us  and  set 


58  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

us  a  good  example  of  what's  brave  and  comely  in  man  ; 
long  may  he  be  spared,  I  say,  and  from  my  heart  I 
bless  him  for  a  good  brother  and  husband  and  father, 
and  wish  him  many  happy  returns  of  his  birthday. 
My  love  and  honour  to  you,  Vivian  !  " 

They  all  rose  and  spoke  after  the  custom  of  the  clan. 

"  My  love  and  honour  to  you,  brother,"  said 
Humphrey. 

"My  love  and  honour  to  you,  Vivian  Baskerville," 
said  his  wife. 

"  Love  and  honour  to  you,  father,"  murmured  the 
boys  and  girls. 

And  Mark  said,  "  Love  and  honour  to  you,  uncle." 

There  was  a  gulching  of  liquor  in  the  silence  that 
followed,  and  Mr.  Baskerville's  little  eyes  twinkled. 

"  You  silly  folk  !  "  he  said.  "  God  knows  there's 
small  need  of  this.  But  thank  you  all  —  wife,  chil- 
dren, brothers,  and  nephew.  I  be  getting  up  home  to 
my  tether's  end  now,  and  can't  look  with  certainty  for 
over  and  above  another  ten  birthdays  or  thereabouts  ; 
but  such  as  come  we'll  keep  together,  if  it  pleases  you. 
And  if  you  be  drinking,  then  here's  to  you  all  at  a 
breath  —  to  you  all,  not  forgetting  my  son  Nathan 
that's  sailing  on  the  sea." 

"  I'll  write  to  Nat  and  tell  him  every  blessed  word 
of  it,  and  what  we've  had  for  dinner  and  all,"  said 
May. 

The  company  grew  hilarious  and  Nathan,  leaving 
them,  went  to  the  trap  that  had  brought  him  from 
Shaugh  Prior  and  returned  with  a  bottle. 

"  'Tis  a  pretty  cordial,"  he  said,  "  and  a  thimbleful 
all  round  will  steady  what's  gone  and  warm  our  hearts. 
Not  but  what  they'm  warm  enough  already." 

The  liquor  was  broached  and  all  drank  but  Hum- 
phrey. 

"  Enough's  as  good  as  a  feast.     And  you  can  saddle 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  59 

my  pony,  Mark.  I'm  going  home  now.  I'm  glad  to 
have  been  here  to-day;  but  I'm  going  now." 

They  pressed  him  to  remain,  but  he  judged  the 
invitation  to  be  half-hearted.  However,  he  was  tran- 
quil and  amiable  at  leave-taking.  To  Rupert  he  even 
extended  an  invitation. 

Rupert  was  the  only  one  of  his  brother's  family  for 
whom  he  even  pretended  regard. 

"  You  can  come  and  see  me  when  you've  got  the 
time,"  he  said.  "  I'll  go  for  a  walk  along  with  you  and 
hear  what  you  have  to  say." 

Then  he  rode  off,  but  Mark  stopped  and  finished 
the  day  with  his  cousins. 

He  talked  to  Rupert  and,  with  secret  excitement, 
heard  the  opinions  of  May  and  Polly  on  the  subject 
of  Cora  Lintern.  • 

A  very  glowing  and  genial  atmosphere  settled  over 
Cadworthy  after  the  departure  of  Humphrey  Basker- 
ville.  Even  the  nervous  Mark  consented  to  sing  a  song 
or  two.  The  musical  traditions  of  the  Baskervilles  had 
reawakened  in  him,  and  on  rare  occasions  he  favoured 
his  friends  with  old  ballads.  But  in  church  he  never 
sang,  and  often  only  went  there  to  ring  the  tenor  bell. 

Mr.  Nathan  also  rendered  certain  comic  songs,  and 
May  played  the  aged  piano.  Then  there  was  dancing 
and  dust  and  noise,  and  presently  the  meal  called  '  high 
tea.'  Hester  Baskerville  protested  at  last  against  her 
brother-in-law's  absurdities,  for  everybody  began  to 
roll  about  and  ache  with  laughter ;  but  he  challenged 
her  criticism. 

"  Clever  though  you  all  are,"  he  said,  "  no  woman 
that  ever  I  met  was  clever  enough  to  play  the  fool. 
'Tis  only  the  male  creature  can  accomplish  that." 

"  No  woman  ever  wanted  to,  I  should  hope,"  she 
answered;  and  he  retorted  triumphantly  — 

"Thereyou  are!     There'smyargumentinanutshell!" 


6o  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

She  was  puzzled. 

"  What  d'you  mean  by  that  ?  "  she  asked,  and,  from 
the  standpoint  of  his  nimble  wit,  he  roared. 

"  There  you  are  again  !  "  he  said.  "  I  can't  explain  ; 
but  the  lack  in  you  be  summed  in  the  question." 

"  You'm  a  hopeless  case,"  she  said.  "  We  all  laugh 
at  you,  and  yet  couldn't  for  the  life  of  us  tell  what  on 
earth  'tis  we  be  laughing  at." 

"  That's  the  very  highest  art  and  practice  of  playing 
the  fool !  "  he  told  them. 


CHAPTER   VI 

WHERE  Wigmore  Down  descends  in  mighty 
shoulders  clad  with  oak,  there  meet  the  rivers 
Plym  and  Mew,  after  their  diverse  journeyings 
on  Dartmoor.  The  first  roars  wild  and  broken  from 
its  cradle  aloft  on  the  midmost  waste,  and  falls  with 
thunder  under  Cadworthy  and  beneath  the  Dewer- 
stone;  the  other,  as  becomes  a  stream  that  has  run 
through  peaceful  valleys  by  bridges  and  the  hamlets 
of  men,  shall  be  found  to  wander  with  more  gentle  cur- 
rent before  she  passes  into  the  throbbing  bosom  of  her 
sister.  Above  them,  on  a  day  in  early  summer,  the 
hill  ascended  washed  with  light,  spread  hugely  for  the 
pomp  of  the  leaf. 

From  Plym  beneath,  flashing  arrowy  under  their 
lowermost  branches,  to  the  granite  tonsure  of  the  hill 
above,  ten  thousand  trees  ascended  in  a  shining  raiment 
of  all  greens  —  a  garment  that  fitted  close  to  the  con- 
tours of  each  winding  ridge,  sharp  cleeve,  and  uplifted 
knoll  of  the  elevation  that  they  covered.  Lustrous 
and  shimmering,  this  forest  garb  exhibited  every  vernal 
tint  that  nature  knows,  for  upon  a  prevalent,  trium- 
phant fabric  of  golden-green  were  cast  particular  jewels 
and  patterns ;  against  the  oaken  undertones,  where 
they  spread  a  dappled  verdure  of  amber  and  carmine, 
there  sprang  the  tardy  ash,  shone  the  rowan's  bright- 
ness, sparkled  the  whitethorn  at  river's  brink,  and  rose 
the  emerald  pavilions  of  the  larch.  Beeches  thrust 
their  diaphanous  foliage  in  veils  athwart  the  shadows  ; 
here  a  patchwork  of  blue  firs  added  new  harmonies  to 
the  hill  J  here  the  glittering  birch  reflected  light  from 

6i 


62  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

every  tiny  leaf;  and  here  the  holly's  sobriety  was 
broken  by  inflorescence  and  infant  foliage,  young  and 
bright. 

The  forest  spread  its  new-born  leaves  under  a  still, 
grey  evening,  upon  which,  suddenly,  the  sun  thrust 
through  before  it  sank.  Shafts  of  light,  falling  from 
west  to  east  upon  the  planes  of  the  woods,  struck  out 
a  path  of  sudden  glory  along  the  pine-tops  and  thrust 
down  in  rain  of  red  gold  even  to  the  river's  face ; 
while  on  Dewerstone's  self,  where  it  towered  above  the 
trees  and  broke  the  green  with  grey,  this  gracious  light 
briefly  brooded  and  flashed  genial  into  dark  crevices 
and  hidden  nests  of  birds. 

The  great  rock  falls  by  abrupt  acclivity  to  the  water ; 
it  towers  with  pinnacle  and  peak  aloft.  Planted  in  the 
side  ofthe  forest  it  stands  veined,  scarred  ;  it  is  fretted  with 
many  colours,  cut  and  torn  into  all  manner  of  fantastic 
shapes  by  work  of  roots  and  rain,  by  centuries  of  storm 
and  the  chisel  ofthe  lightning.  Bedded  here,  with  ivy 
on  its  front,  the  smile  of  evening  for  a  crown,  and  the  for- 
est like  a  green  sea  breaking  in  foam  of  leaves  around  it, 
the  Water  Stone  stood.  Night  was  already  come  upon 
its  eaves  and  cornices ;  from  its  feet  ascended  musical 
thunder  of  Plym  in  a  riot  of  rocks  ;  and  aloft,  clashing, 
echoing  and  re-echoing  from  scarp  and  precipice,  there 
rang  the  cheerful  chiming  music  of  unnumbered  jack- 
daws, who  made  these  crags  their  home. 

Mark  Baskerville,  descending  into  the  valley  from 
Shaugh,  beheld  this  scene  with  understanding.  He 
had  been  well  educated ;  he  was  sentimental ;  he  re- 
garded wild  Nature  in  a  manner  rare  amid  those  born 
and  bred  upon  her  bosom.  Beauty  did  not  find  him 
indifi^erent ;  old  legends  gave  him  joy.  He  knew  the 
folk-tales  of  the  land  and  dwelt  upon  them  still  with 
pleasure  —  an  instinct  surviving  from  boyhood,  and 
deliberately  suffered  to  survive.     He  loved  the  emotion 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  63 

of  awe  and  cultivated  it ;  he  led  a  life  from  choice  much 
secluded ;  he  had  walked  hitherto  blind,  in  so  far  as 
women  were  concerned  ;  but  now  a  woman  had  entered 
his  life,  and  Nature  shone  glorified  throughout  by  the 
experience. 

Mark  was  in  love  with  Cora  Lintern  ;  yet  this  prime 
fact  did  not  lessen  his  regard  for  the  earth  and  the  old 
stories  concerning  it.  He  found  the  things  that  were 
good  aforetime  still  good,  but  changed.  His  emotions 
were  all  sharpened  and  intensified.  His  strength  was 
stronger  ;  his  weakness  was  weaker  than  of  yore.  She 
was  never  out  of  his  thoughts  ;  she  made  the  sunlight 
warmer,  the  bird's  song  sweeter,  the  night  more  won- 
derful. He  woke  and  found  himself  brave  enough  to 
approach  her  in  the  deep,  small  hours  of  morning;  but 
with  dawn  came  fear,  and  with  day  his  courage  melted. 
By  night  also  he  made  rhymes  that  seemed  beautiful 
to  him  and  brought  moisture  to  his  eyes  ;  but  when 
the  sun  came  and  he  repeated  his  stumbling  periods,  he 
blushed  at  them  and  banished  them. 

She  was  friendly  and  not  averse;  but  she  was  clever, 
and  had  many  friends  among  young  men.  Nathan 
Baskerville  rejoiced  in  her,  and  often  foretold  a  notable 
match  for  Cora.  What  Mark  could  offer  seemed  very 
little  to  Mark  himself.  His  father,  indeed,  was  reputed 
rich;  but  life  at  Hawk  House  revealed  no  sign  of  it. 
They  lived  hard,  and  Humphrey  Baskerville  affected 
a  frugahty  that  would  have  been  unusual  in  the  homes 
of  humbler  people. 

Humphrey  had  often  told  his  son  that  he  did  not 
know  how  to  spend  money;  and  as  for  Mark,  until 
the  present,  he  had  shared  his  father's  indifference  and 
been  well  content.  But  he  felt  that  Cora  might  be 
fond  of  money;  and  he  was  glad  sometimes  that  his 
father  spent  so  little;  because,  if  all  went  well,  there 
must  surely  come  a  time  when   he  would  be  able  to 


64  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

rejoice  Cora  with  great  riches.  The  obstacle,  however, 
he  felt  to  be  himself.  His  distrust  of  himself  was 
morbid;  the  folk  said  that  he  was  frightened  of  his  own 
voice,  and  only  spoke  through  the  tenor  bell  of  St. 
Edward's. 

Now  he  descended  into  the  shadows  of  the  valley 
and  moved  along  the  brink  of  Plym,  seeking  for  certain 
young  wood,  ripe  for  cutting.  Presently  Mark  found 
what  he  sought,  but  made  no  immediate  effort  to 
begin  work.  He  flung  down  a  frail  which  contained 
a  bill-hook  and  saw.  Then  he  sat  upon  a  rock  over- 
hanging the  river  and  buried  himself  in  his  own  thoughts. 

A  path  wound  beside  the  stream,  and  along  it 
sauntered  suddenly  the  maiden  of  this  man's  dream. 
She  looked  fair  enough  and  moved  in  deep  apparent 
unconsciousness  of  any  human  presence. 

But  her  ignorance  was  simulated.  She  had  seen 
young  Baskerville  pass  over  the  hill;  she  had  known 
his  destination,  and  by  a  detour  she  had  entered  the 
valley  from  below. 

Now  she  started  and  exhibited  astonishment. 

"Mark!    Whoever  would  have  thought !   What 

be  you  doing  here  all  alone  like  this — and  you  not  a 
fisherman?" 

He  stammered,  and  grew  pale. 

"Fancy  meeting;  and  I  might  ask  what  brought  you, 
Cora?" 

"Oh, just  a  silly  fondness  for  the  river  and  the  trees 
and  my  own  thoughts.  I  like  being  about  among  the 
wild  things,  though  I  dare  say  you  won't  believe  it." 

"Of  course,  I'll  beheve  it — gladly  too.  Don't  I  like 
being  about  among  'em  better  than  anything  else?  I'm 
very  pleased  to  meet  you,  I'm  sure.  There's  no 
lovelier  bit  of  the  river  than  here." 

"Dewerstone  do  look  fine  to-night,"  she  said, 
glancing  up  at  the  crags  above  them. 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  65 

"It  does,  then.  The  Water  Stone  I  always  call  it, 
since  I  read  in  a  book  that  that  was  what  it  meant. 
'Tis  the  great  stone  by  the  water,  you  see.  Have  you 
ever  heard  tell  of  the  Black  Hunter,  Cora?  But  per- 
haps you  don't  hold  with  such  old  wife's  tales?" 

She  put  him  at  his  ease  and  assured  him  that  she 
loved  ancient  fables  and  liked  to  go  on  believing  them, 
despite  her  better  knowledge. 

"Just  the  same  as  me!"  he  cried  eagerly.  "The 
very  thing  I  do.  How  wonderful  you  should  feel  the 
same!  I  know  'tis  rubbish,  yet  I  let  it  go  sadly.  I'd 
believe  in  the  pixies,  if  I  could!" 

"Who  was  the  Black  Hunter,  if  you  don't  mind 
teUing  me?"  she  asked.  "I'll  sit  here  a  bit  afore  I  go 
on,  if  it  won't  be  to  hinder  you." 

"Proud  I  am,  I'm  sure,"  he  said.  "And  as  for  him, 
the  Black  Hunter,  that's  no  more  than  another  name 
for  the  Devil  himself  'Twas  thought  that  he'd  come 
here  by  night  with  his  great,  bellowing,  red-eyed  dogs, 
and  go  forth  to  hunt  souls.  A  coal-black  horse  he  rode ; 
but  sometimes  he'd  set  out  afoot,  for  'tis  well  remem- 
bered how  once  in  the  deep  snow,  on  a  winter  morn, 
human  footprints,  along  with  hoofmarks,  were  traced 
to  the  top  of  the  hill,  but  not  down  again!" 

"  The  devil  flew  away  with  somebody  ?  " 

"  So  the  old  story  says.  But  I  like  the  thought  of 
the  little  Heath  Hounds  better.  For  they  hunt  and 
harry  old  Nick's  self.  They  are  the  spirits  of  the 
young  children  who  die  before  they  are  baptised ; 
and  the  legend  hath  it  that  they  win  to  heaven  soon 
or  late  by  hunting  the  Prince  of  Darkness.  'Tis  the 
children  that  we  bury  with  maimed  rites  upon  *  Chris- 
omers'  Hill '  in  the  churchyard.  They  put  that  poor 
woman  who  killed  herself  in  the  same  place,  because 
the  old  parson  wouldn't  read  *  sure  and  certain  hope ' 
over  her." 


66  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

But  Cora  was  not  interested  in  his  conversation, 
though  she  pretended  to  be.  She  endeavoured  to 
turn  speech  into  a  more  personal  road. 

"  What  have  you  come  here  for  ?  I  hadn't  any 
idea  you  ever  took  walks  alone." 

"  I  take  hundreds  —  terrible  poor  hand  at  neigh- 
bouring with  people,  I  am  —  like  my  father.  But 
I'm  here  to  work  —  getting  handles  for  tools. 
There's  no  wood  for  light  tools  like  alder.  You 
know  the  old  rhyme  — 

*  When  aller's  leaf  is  so  big  as  a  penny. 
The  stick  will  wear  so  tough  as  any.' 

That's  true  enough,  for  I've  proved  it." 

"  Set  to  work  and  I'll  watch  you,  if  I  may." 

"  Proud,  I'm  sure.  And  I'll  see  you  home  after. 
But  there's  no  haste.  I  was  thinking  that  bare,  dark 
corner  in  the  garden  at  Undershaugh  might  do  very 
nice  for  ferns  —  if  you'd  care ?  " 

"The  very  thing!  How  kind  to  think  of  it.  I 
love  the  garden  and  the  flowers.  But  none  else  cares 
about  them.  D'you  think  you  could  get  me  one  of 
they  king  ferns  ?  But  I  suppose  that  would  be  too 
much  to  ask." 

"  I'll  get  you  more  than  one." 

"  I'll  try  to  plant  'em  then,  but  I'm  not  very 
clever." 

"  I'll  come  and  make  a  bit  of  a  rockery  myself,  if — 
if  you  like." 

" '  Like  ! '  I  should  love  it.  But  'tis  very  good 
of  you  to  bother  about  a  stupid  girl." 

"  Don't  you  say  that.  Far,  far  from  stupid.  Never 
was  a  cleverer  girl,  I'm  sure." 

She  shook  her  head  and  talked  about  the  ferns. 
Then  she  became  personal. 

"  I've  always  felt  somehow  with  you ;  but  I  sup- 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  di 

pose  it  ban't  maidenly  to  say  such  things  —  but  I've 
always  felt  as  you  understood  me,  Mark." 

"  Ah  !  "  he  said.  "  And  as  for  me,  I've  felt  —  God, 
He  knows  what  I've  felt." 

The  man  broke  off,  and  she  smiled  at  him  and 
dropped  her  eyes.  She  knew  the  thing  that  shared 
his  heart  with  her,  and  now  spoke  of  it. 

"And  through  you  I've  got  to  love  tenor  bell  al- 
most as  much  as  you  do.  Of  a  Sunday  the  day  isn't 
complete  till  I've  heard  the  beautiful  note  of  your  bell 
and  thought  of  you  at  the  rope.  I  always  somehow 
think  of  you  when  I  hear  that  bell ;  and  I  think  of 
the  bell  when  I  see  you  !      Ban't  that  strange  ?  " 

"  'Tis  your  wonderful  quick  mind,  and  you  couldn't 
say  anything  to  please  me  better." 

"  I  wanted  to  ask  you  about  the  bells.  I'm  so  ig- 
norant; but  I  thought,  if 'twasn't  silly  of  me,  I'd  ask 
you  about  'em.  I  suppose  they'm  awful  difficult  to 
nng  r 

"  Not  a  bit.  Only  wants  steady  practice.  The 
whole  business  is  little  understood,  but  'tis  simple 
enough.  I've  gone  into  it  all  from  the  beginning, 
and  I'm  glad  —  very  glad  —  you  care  about  it.  The 
first  thing  is  for  a  ring  of  bells  to  be  in  harmony  with 
itself,  and  founders  ought  to  be  free  to  make  'em  so. 
The  bells  are  never  better  than  when  they  are  broken 
out  of  the  moulds,  and  every  touch  of  the  lathe,  or 
chip  of  the  chisel,  is  music  lost.  The  thickness  of  the 
sound-bow  should  be  one-thirteenth  of  the  diameter,  you 
must  know ;  but  modern  bells  are  made  for  cheapness. 
Long  in  the  waist  and  high  in  the  shoulder  they  should 
be  for  true  fineness  of  sound ;  but  they  cast  'em  with 
short  waists  and  flat  shoulders  now.  'Tis  easier  to 
hang  and  ring  them  so  ;  but  they  don't  give  the  same 
music.  My  tenor  is  a  wonderful  good  bell — a  maiden 
bell,  as  we  say  —  one  cast  true,  that  has  never  had  a 


68  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

chip  at  the  sound-bow.  *  I  call  the  quick  to  church 
and  dead  to  grave,'  is  her  motto.  A  Pennington  bell 
she  is,  and  no  bell-founder  ever  cast  a  better.  Every 
year  makes  her  sweeter,  for  there's  nothing  improves 
bell-metal  like  time." 

"  I  suppose  it  wouldn't  be  possible  for  me  actually 
to  see  the  bells  ?  " 

"  It  can  be  done  and  shall  be,"  he  promised.  Then 
he  went  off  again. 

"  I've  been  in  nearly  every  bell-cot  and  bell-turret 
in  Devonshire,  one  time  and  another,  and  I've  took  a 
hand  in  change-ringing  far  and  wide  ;  but  our  ring  of 
six,  for  its  size  and  weight,  can't  be  beat  in  the  county, 
and  there's  no  sweeter  tenor  that  I've  heard  than 
mine.  And  I'm  very  hopeful  that  Mr.  Masterman 
will  take  my  advice  and  have  our  wheels  and  gear 
looked  to,  and  the  bell-chamber  cleaned  out.  'Tis 
the  home  of  birds,  and  the  nest  litter  lies  feet  deep 
up  there.  The  ladder's  all  rotten  too.  We  ought 
to  have  stays  and  slides ;  and  our  ropes  are  a  bit  too 
heavy,  and  lack  tuftings  for  the  sally.  I'm  hopeful 
he'll  have  a  care  for  these  things." 

He  prattled  on,  for  it  was  his  subject  and  always 
loosed  his  tongue.  She  was  bored  to  death,  but  from 
time  to  time,  when  he  feared  that  he  wearied  her,  she 
assured  him  that  her  interest  did  not  wane  and  was 
only  less  than  his  own.  He  showed  unusual  excite- 
ment at  this  meeting,  was  lifted  out  of  himself,  and 
talked  until  grey  gloaming  sank  over  the  valley  and  the 
jackdaws  were  silent.  Then  Cora  started  up  and  de- 
clared that  she  must  return  home  quickly. 

"  Listening  to  you.  has  made  me  forget  all  about 
the  time  and  everything,"  she  said.  "They'll  wonder 
whatever  has  befallen  me." 

"  I'll  see  you  home,"  he  answered.  "  'Tis  my  fault 
you'll  be  late,  and  I  must  take  the  blame." 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  69 

"And  I've  kept  you  from  your  work,  I'm  afraid." 

"  That's  no  matter  at  all.  To-morrow  will  do  just 
as  well  for  the  alder." 

He  rose  and  walked  beside  her.  She  asked  him  to 
help  her  at  one  place  in  the  wood,  and  her  cool,  firm 
hand  thrilled  him.  Once  or  twice  he  thought  to  take 
this  noble  opportunity  and  utter  the  thing  in  his  heart ; 
but  he  could  not  bring  himself  to  do  it.  Then,  at  her 
gate,  he  left  her,  and  they  exchanged  many  assurances 
of  mutual  thanks  and  obligation.  He  promised  to 
bring  the  ferns  in  three  days'  time,  and  undertook  to 
spend  an  evening  with  the  Linterns,  build  the  rockery, 
and  stay  to  supper  with  the  family  afterwards. 

He  walked  home  treading  on  air,  with  his  mind  full 
of  hope  and  happiness.  Cora  had  never  been  so  close 
as  on  this  day  ;  she  had  never  vouchsafed  such  an  in- 
timate glimpse  of  her  beautiful  spirit  before.  Each 
word,  each  look  seemed  to  bring  her  nearer  ;  and  yet, 
when  he  reflected  on  his  own  imperfections,  a  wave  of 
doubt  swept  coldly  over  him.  He  supped  in  silence, 
but,  after  the  meal,  he  confessed  the  thoughts  in  his  mind. 

"  Never  broke  a  twig  this  evening,"  he  said.  "  Was 
just  going  to  begin,  when  who  should  come  along  but 
Cora  Lintern." 

"  Has  she  forgiven  parson  for  turning  her  out  of 
the  choir?  Can't  practise  that  side-glance  at  the  men 
no  more  now." 

"  She's  not  that  sort,  father." 

"  Not  with  a  face  like  hers  ?  That  girl  would  rather 
go  hungry  than  without  admiration  and  flattering. 
A  little  peacock,  and  so  vain  as  one." 

"You're  wrong  there.  I'll  swear  it.  She's  very 
diff^erent  to  what  you  reckon.  Why,  this  very  even- 
ing, there  she  was  under  the  Water  Stone  all  alone  — 
walking  along  by  herself  just  for  love  of  the  place. 
Often  goes  there,  she  tells  me." 


70  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

"  Very  surprised  to  find  you  there  —  eh  ?  " 

"That  she  was.  And  somehow  I  got  talking  — 
such  a  silent  man  as  me  most  times.  But  I  found 
myself  chattering  about  the  bells  and  one  thing  and 
another.  We've  got  a  lot  more  in  common  than  you 
might  think." 

Mr.  Baskerville  smoked  and  looked  into  the  fire. 

"  Well,  don't  be  in  a  hurry.  I'm  not  against  mar- 
riage for  the  young  men.  But  bide  your  time,  till 
you've  got  more  understanding  of  women." 

"  I'll  never  find  another  like  her.  I'm  sure  she'd 
please  you,  father." 

"  You'll  be  rich  in  a  small  way,  as  the  world  goes, 
presently.  Remember,  she  knows  that  as  well  as  you 
do." 

"  She  never  speaks  of  money.  Just  so  simple  and 
easily  pleased  as  I  am  myself,  for  that  matter.  She 
loves  natural  things  — just  the  things  you  care  about 
yourself." 

"  And  very  much  interested  in  tenor  bell,  no  doubt? " 

"  How  did  you  guess  that  ?  But  'tis  perfectly  true. 
She  is ;  and  she  said  a  very  kind  thing  that  was  very 
hopeful  to  me  to  hear.  She  said  that  the  bell  always 
put  her  in  mind  of  me,  and  I  always  put  her  in  mind 
of  the  bell." 

"  I  wonder !  And  did  you  tell  her  what  was  writ 
on  the  bell  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  did,  father." 

"  And  d'you  know  what  she  thought  ?  " 

Mark  shook  his  head. 

"  She  thought  that  the  sooner  it  called  you  and  her 
to  church  together,  and  the  sooner  it  called  me  to  my 
grave,  the  pleasanter  life  would  look  for  her  hard 
eyes." 

"  Father  !     'Tis  cruel  and  unjust  to  say  such  things." 

"  Haven't  I   seen  her  there  o'   Sundays  ever  since 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  71 

she  growed  up  ?  There's  nought  tells  you  more  about 
people  than  their  ways  in  church.  As  bright  as  a  bee 
and  smart  and  shining;  but  hard  —  hard  as  the  nether 
millstone,  that  woman's  heart.  Have  a  care  of  her; 
that's  all  I'll  say  to  you." 

"  I  hope  to  God  you'll  know  her  better  some  day, 
father." 

"And  I  hope  you  will,  my  lad;  and  I'll  use  your 
strong  words  too,  and  hope  to  God  you'll  know  her 
better  afore  'tis  too  late." 

"  This  is  cruel,  and  I'm  bitter  sorry  to  hear  you  say 
it,"  answered  the  young  man,  rising.  Then  he  went 
out  and  left  his  father  alone. 

Elsewhere  Phyllis  Lintern  had  eagerly  inquired  of 
Cora  as  to  the  interview  with  the  bellringer. 

The  girls  shared  many  secrets  and  were  close  friends. 
They  knew  unconsciously  that  their  brother  was  more 
to  the  mother  than  were  they.  Heathman  adored 
Mrs.  Lintern  and  never  wearied  of  showing  it ;  but 
for  his  sisters  he  cared  little,  and  they  felt  no  interest 
in  him. 

Now  Phyllis  sympathised  with  Cora's  ambitions  and 
romances. 

"  How  was  it?  "  she  asked.  "I  warrant  you  brought 
him  to  the  scratch  !  " 

"  'Tis  all  right,"  declared  her  sister.  "  'Tis  so  good 
as  done.  The  word  was  on  his  tongue  coming  up- 
along  in  the  dimpsy  ;  but  it  stuck  in  his  throat.  I 
know  the  signs  well  enough.  However,  'twill  slip  out 
pretty  soon,  I  reckon.  He's  a  good  sort,  though 
fidgety,  but  he's  gotten  lovely  eyes.  I'll  wake  him 
up  and  smarten  him  up,  too  —  presently." 


CHAPTER  VII 

WHEN  man  builds  a  house  on  Dartmoor,  he 
plants  trees  to  protect  it.  Sometimes  they 
perish ;  sometimes  they  endure  to  shield  his 
dwelling  from  the  riotous  and  seldom-sleeping  winds. 
Round  the  abode  of  Humphrey  Baskerville  stood 
beech  and  pine.  A  solid  old  house  lurked  beneath, 
like  a  bear  in  its  grove.  People  likened  its  face  to  the 
master's  —  the  grey,  worn,  tar-pitched  roof  to  his  hair, 
and  the  small  windows  on  either  side  of  the  door  to 
his  eyes.  A  few  apple  trees  were  in  the  garden,  and 
currant  and  gooseberry  bushes  prospered  indifferent 
well  beneath  them.  Rhubarb  and  a  row  of  elders  also 
flourished  here.  The  latter  were  permitted  to  exist 
for  their  fruit,  and  of  the  berries  Mrs.  Susan  Hacker, 
Humphrey's  widowed  housekeeper,  made  medicinal 
preparations  supposed  to  possess  value. 

Hawk  House  lay  under  a  tor,  and  behind  it  the 
land  towered  to  a  stony  waste  that  culminated  in  wild 
masses  of  piled  granite,  where  the  rowan  grew  and  the 
vixen  laid  her  cubs.  From  this  spot  one  might  take  a 
bird's-eye  survey  of  Humphrey  Baskerville's  domain. 
Gold  lichens  had  fastened  on  the  roof,  and  the  folk 
conceited  that  since  there  was  no  more  room  in  the 
old  man's  house  for  his  money,  it  began  to  ooze  out 
through  the  tiles. 

Humphrey  himself  now  sat  on  a  favourite  stone 
aloft  and  surveyed  his  possessions  and  the  scene  around 
them.  It  was  his  custom  in  fair  weather  to  spend 
many  hours  sequestered  upon  the  tor.  Dwarf  oaks 
grew  in  the  clitters,  and  he  marked  the  passage  of  the 

72 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  73 

time  by  their  activity,  by  the  coming  of  migrant  birds, 
by  the  appearance  of  the  infant  foxes  and  by  other 
natural  signs  and  tokens.  Beneath  Hawk  House 
there  subtended  a  great  furze-clad  space  flanked  with 
woods.  The  Rut,  as  it  was  called,  fell  away  to  farms 
and  fertile  fields,  and  terminated  in  a  glen  through 
which  the  little  Torry  river  passed  upon  her  way  to 
Plym.  Cann  Wood  fringed  the  neighbouring  heights, 
and  far  away  to  the  south  Laira's  lake  extended  and 
Plymouth  appeared  —  faint,  grey,  glittering  under  a 
gauze  of  smoke. 

The  tor  itself  was  loved  by  hawks  and  stoats,  crows 
and  foxes.  Not  a  few  people,  familiar  with  the  fact 
that  Humphrey  here  took  his  solitary  walks  and  kept 
long  vigils,  would  affirm  that  he  held  a  sort  of  con- 
verse with  these  predatory  things  and  learned  from 
them  their  winged  and  four-footed  cunning.  His 
sympathy,  indeed,  was  with  fox  and  hawk  rather  than 
with  hunter  and  hound.  He  admitted  it,  but  in  no 
sense  of  companionship  with  craft  did  he  interest  him- 
self in  the  wild  creatures.  He  made  no  fatuous  impu- 
tation of  cruelty  to  the  hawk,  or  cunning  to  the  fox. 
His  bent  of  mind,  none  the  less,  inclined  him  to 
admire  their  singlehanded  fight  for  life  against  long 
odds ;  and  thus  he,  too,  fell  into  fallacy ;  but  his 
opinion  took  a  practical  turn  and  was  not  swiftly 
shattered,  as  such  emotions  are  apt  to  be,  when  the 
pitied  outlaw  offers  to  the  sentimental  spectator  a 
personal  taste  of  his  quality. 

If  a  hawk  stooped  above  his  chickens,  he  felt  a  sort 
of  contempt  for  the  screaming,  flying  fowls  —  let  the 
hawk  help  itself  if  it  could  —  and  did  not  run  for  his 
gun.  Indeed,  he  had  no  gun.  As  men  said  of  this 
or  that  obstinate  ancient  that  he  had  never  travelled 
in  a  train,  so  they  affirmed,  concerning  Humphrey 
Baskerville,  that  he  had  never  in  his  life  fired  a  gun. 


74  THE    THREE    BROTHERS 

He  sat  and  smoked  a  wooden  pipe  and  reflected  on 
the  puzzles  of  his  days.  He  knew  that  he  was  held 
in  little  esteem,  but  that  had  never  troubled  him. 
His  inquiring  spirit  rose  above  his  fellow-creatures  ; 
and  he  prided  himself  upon  the  fact,  and  did  not  see 
that  just  in  this  particular  of  a  flight  too  lofty  did  he 
fail  of  the  landmarks  and  sure  ground  he  sought. 

A  discontent,  in  substance  very  distinguished  and 
noble,  imbued  his  consciousness.  He  was  still  seek- 
ing solace  out  of  life  and  a  way  that  should  lead  to 
rest.  But  he  could  not  find  it.  He  was  in  arms  on 
the  wrong  road.  He  missed  the  fundamental  fact  that 
from  humanity  and  service  arise  not  only  the  first 
duties  of  life,  but  also  the  highest  rewards  that  life 
can  off*er.  He  had  little  desire  towards  his  fellow- 
creatures.  His  mind  appeared  to  magnify  their  de- 
ficiencies and  weakness.  He  was  ungenerous  in  his 
interpretation  of  motives.  Mankind  awoke  his  high- 
est impatience.  He  sneered  at  his  own  shortcomings 
daily,  and  had  no  more  mercy  for  the  manifold  dis- 
abilities of  human  nature  in  general.  In  the  light  of 
his  religion  and  his  learning,  he  conceived  that  man 
should  be  by  many  degrees  a  nobler  and  a  wiser  thing 
than  he  found  him  ;  and  this  conclusion  awoke  im- 
patience and  a  fiery  aversion.  He  groped  therefore 
in  a  blind  alley,  for  as  yet  service  of  man  had  not 
brought  its  revelation  to  his  spirit,  or  opened  the 
portals  of  content.  He  failed  to  perceive  that  the 
man  who  lives  rationally  for  men,  with  all  thereby  in- 
volved in  his  duty  to  himself,  is  justifying  his  own 
existence  to  the   limit  of  human   capacity. 

Instead,  he  fulfilled  obligations  to  his  particular  God 
with  all  his  might,  and  supposed  this  rule  of  conduct 
embraced  every  necessity.  He  despised  his  neigh- 
bour, but  he  despised  himself  also.  Thus  he  was 
logical,  but  such  a  rule  of  conduct  left    him    lonely. 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  75 

Hence  it  came  about  that  darkness  clothed  him  like  a 
garment,  and  that  his  kind  shunned  him,  and  cared 
not  to  consider  him. 

He  sat  silent  and  motionless.  His  gift  of  stillness 
had  often  won  some  little  intimate  glimpse  of  Nature, 
and  it  did  so  now.  A  fox  went  by  him  at  close 
quarters.  It  passed  absorbed  in  its  own  affairs,  in- 
cautious and  without  fear.  Then  suddenly  it  saw  him, 
braced  its  muscles  and  slipped  away  like  a  streak  of 
cinnamon  light  through  the  stones. 

It  made  for  the  dwarf  oaks  beneath  the  head  of  the 
tor,  and  the  watcher  saw  its  red  stern  rise  and  its  white- 
tipped  brush  jerk  this  way  and  that  as  it  leapt  from 
boulder  to  boulder.  A  big  and  powerful  fox  —  so 
Humphrey  perceived;  one  that  had  doubtless  stood 
before  hounds  in  his  time,  and  would  again. 

Arrived  at  the  confines  of  the  wood,  the  brute 
hurried  himself  no  more  ;  but  rested  awhile  and,  with  a 
sort  of  highwayman  insolence,  surveyed  the  object  of 
alarm.  Then  it  disappeared,  and  the  man  smiled  to 
himself  and  was  glad  that  he  had  seen  this  particular 
neighbour. 

At  the  poultry-house  far  below,  moved  Mrs. 
Hacker.  Viewed  from  this  elevation  she  presented 
nothing  but  a  sun-bonnet  and  a  great  white  square  of 
apron.  She  wore  black,  and  her  bust  disappeared  seen 
thus  far  away,  though  her  capacious  person  might  be 
noted  at  a  mile.  Susan  Hacker  was  florid,  taciturn, 
and  staunch  to  her  master.  If  she  had  a  hero,  it  was 
Mr.  Baskerville ;  and  if  she  had  an  antipathy.  Miss 
Eliza  Gollop  stood  for  that  repugnance. 

Of  Susan  it  might  be  said  that  she  was  honest  and 
not  honest.  In  her  case,  though,  she  would  have 
scorned  to  take  a  crust ;  she  listened  at  doors.  To 
steal  a  spoon  was  beyond  her  power  ;  but  to  steal  in- 
formation not  intended  for  her  ears  did  not  outrage 


76  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

her  moral  sense.  Her  rare  triumphs  were  concerned 
with  Humphrey's  ragged  wardrobe ;  and  when  she 
could  prevail  with  him  to  buy  a  new  suit  of  clothes,  or 
burn  an  old  one,  she  felt  the  day  had  justified  itself. 

Now,  through  the  clitters  beneath  him,  there  as- 
cended a  man,  and  Humphrey  prepared  to  meet  his 
nephew.  He  had  marked  Rupert  speak  with  Mrs. 
Hacker  and  seen  her  point  to  the  tor.  It  pleased  the 
uncle  that  this  youth  should  sometimes  call  unasked 
upon  him,  for  he  rated  Rupert  as  the  sanest  and 
usefulest  of  his  kindred.  In  a  sense  Rupert  pleased 
Humphrey  better  than  his  own  son  did.  A  vague 
instinct  to  poetry  and  sentiment  and  things  of  abstract 
beauty,  which  belonged  as  an  ingredient  to  Mark's 
character,  found  no  echo  in  his  father's  breast. 

"  I  be  come  to  eat  my  dinner  along  with  you  and 
fetch  a  message  for  Mark,"  began  the  young  man. 
"  Mr.  Masterman's  meeting,  to  tell  everybody  about 
the  play,  will  be  held  in  the  parish  room  early  next 
month,  and  parson  specially  wants  you  and  Mark  to 
be  there.  There's  an  idea  of  reviving  some  old-fangled 
customs.  I  dare  say  'tis  a  very  good  idea,  and  there 
will  be  plenty  to  lend  a  hand ;  but  I  doubt  whether 
Mark  will  dress  up  and  spout  poetry  for  him  —  any 
more  than  I  would." 

"  He  means  to  perform  ^  St.  George  *  next  Christmas 
and  invite  the  countryside,"  said  Mr.  Baskerville. 
"  Well,  one  man's  meat  is  another  man's  poison. 
He's  young  and  energetic.  He'll  carry  it  through 
somehow  with  such  material  .as  lies  about  him.  The 
maidens  will  all  want  to  be  in  it,  no  doubt." 

"  I  think  'tis  foolery,  uncle." 

"You  think  wrong,  then.  Ban't  always  foolery  to 
hark  back  to  old  ways.  He's  got  his  ideas  for  waking 
the  people  up.  You  and  me  might  say,  '  don't  wake 
'em  up  ' ;  but  'tisn't  our  business.     It  is  his  business. 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  -j-j 

as  a  minister,  to  open  their  eyes  and  polish  their  senses. 
So  let  him  try  with  childish  things  first  —  not  that 
he'll  succeed,  for  he  won't." 

"  Then  what's  the  good  of  trying?" 

"The  man  must  earn  his  money." 

"  Fancy  coming  to  a  dead-alive  hole  like  this ! 
Why,  even  Jack  Head  from  Trowlesworthy  —  him 
as  works  for  Mr.  Luscombe  —  even  he  laughs  at 
Shaugh." 

"  He's  a  rare  Radical,  is  Head.  'Tis  the  likes  of 
him  the  upper  people  don't  want  to  teach  to  read  or  to 
think  —  for  fear  of  pickling  a  rod  for  themselves.  But 
Head  will  be  thinking.  He's  made  so.  I  like 
him." 

"  He  laughed  at  me  for  one,"  said  Rupert ;  "  and 
though  I  laughed  back,  I  smarted  under  his  tongue. 
He  says  for  a  young  and  strapping  chap  like  me  to 
stop  at  Cadworthy  doing  labourer's  work  for  my 
father,  be  a  poor-spirited  and  even  a  shameful  thing. 
He  says  I  ought  to  blush  to  follow  a  plough  or  move 
muck,  with  the  learning  I've  learnt.  Of  course,  'tis  a 
small,  mean  life,  in  a  manner  of  speaking,  for  a  man  of 
energy  as  loves  work  like  I  do." 

Mr.  Baskerville  scratched  his  head  with  the  mouth- 
piece of  his  pipe,  and  surveyed  Rupert  for  some  time 
without  speaking. 

Then  he  rose,  sniffed  the  air,  and  buttoned  up  his 
coat. 

"  We'll  walk  a  bit  and  I'll  show  you  something,"  he 
said. 

They  set  out  over  Shaugh  Moor  and  Rupert  pro- 
ceeded. 

"  I  do  feel  rather  down  on  my  luck,  somehow  — 
especially  about  Milly  Luscombe.  It  don't  seem 
right  or  fair  exactly  —  as  if  Providence  wasn't  on  my 
side." 


78  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

"  Don't  bleat  that  nonsensical  stujff","  said  his  uncle. 
"  You're  the  sort  that  cry  out  to  Providence  if  you 
fall  into  a  bed  of  nettles  —  instead  of  getting  up  quick 
and  looking  for  a  dock-leaf.  Time  to  cry  to  Provi- 
dence when  you're  in  a  fix  you  can't  get  out  of  single- 
handed.  If  you  begin  at  your  time  of  life,  and  all 
about  nothing  too,  belike  'twill  come  to  be  like  the 
cry  of'  Wolf,  wolf! '  and  then,  when  you  really  do  get 
into  trouble  and  holloa  out.  Providence  won't  heed." 

"  Milly  Luscombe's  not  a  small  thing,  anyway. 
How  can  I  go  on  digging  and  delving  while  father 
withstands  me  and  won't  hear  a  word  about  her  ?  " 

"  She's  too  good  for  you." 

"  I  know  it ;  but  she  don't  think  so,  thank  the 
Lord." 

"  Your  father's  a  man  that  moves  in  a  groove. 
Maybe  you  go  safer  that  way  ;  but  not  further.  The 
beaten  track  be  his  motto.  He  married  late  in  life, 
and  it  worked  very  well ;  so  it  follows  to  his  narrow 
mind  that  late  in  life  is  the  right  and  only  time  to 
marry." 

"  I  wish  you'd  tell  him  that  you  hold  with  Milly 
and  think  a  lot  of  her.  Father  has  a  great  opinion  of 
your  cleverness,  I'm  sure." 

"  Not  he  !  'Tis  your  uncle  Nathan  that  he  sets 
store  by.  Quite  natural  that  he  should.  He's  a  much 
cleverer  man  than  me,  and  knows  a  lot  more  about 
human  nature.  See  how  well  all  folk  speak  of  him. 
Can't  you  get  him  your  side  ?  Your  father  would 
soon  give  ear  to  you  if  Uncle   Nathan  approved." 

"  'Tis  an  idea.  And  Uncle  Nat  certainly  be  kind 
always.  I  might  try  and  get  him  to  do  something. 
He's  very  friendly  with  Mr.  Saul  Luscombe,  Milly's 
uncle." 

"  How  does  Luscombe  view  it  ?  " 

"  He'll  be  glad  to  have  Milly  off  his  hands." 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  79 

''  More  fool  him  then.  For  there's  no  more  under- 
standing girl  about." 

"  So  Jack  Head  says.  Ban't  often  he's  got  a  good 
word  for  anybody  ;  but  he's  told  me,  in  so  many  words, 
that  Milly  be  bang  out  of  the  common.  He  said  it 
because  his  savage  opinions  never  fluster  her." 

They  stood  on  Hawk  Tor,  and  beneath  them 
stretched,  first,  the  carpet  of  the  heath.  Then  the 
ground  fell  into  a  valley,  where  water  meadows  spread 
about  a  stream,  and  beyond,  by  woods  and  homesteads, 
the  earth  ascended  again  to  Shaugh  Prior.  The  vil- 
lage, perched  upon  the  apex  of  the  hill,  twinkled  like 
a  jewel.  Glitter  of  whitewash  and  rosy-wash  shone 
under  the  grey  roofs  ;  sunlight  and  foliage  sparkled 
and  intermingled  round  the  church  tower  ;  light  roamed 
upon  the  hills,  revealing  and  obscuring  detail  in  its 
passage.  To  the  far  west,  above  deep  valleys,  the 
world  appeared  again ;  but  now  it  had  receded  and 
faded  and  merged  in  tender  blue  to  the  horizon. 
Earth  spread  before  the  men  in  three  huge  and  simple 
planes :  of  heath  and  stone  sloping  from  north  to 
south  ;  of  hillside  and  village  and  hamlet  perched  upon 
their  proper  crest ;  of  the  dim,  dreaming  distance  swept 
with  the  haze  of  summer  and  rising  to  sky-line. 

"That's  not  small  —  that's  big,"  said  Humphrey 
Baskerville.  "  Plenty  of  room  here  for  the  best  or 
worse  that  one  boy  can  do." 

But  Rupert  doubted. 

"Think  of  the  world  out  of  sight,  uncle.  This  bit 
spread  here  be  little  more  than  a  picture  in  its 
frame." 

"  Granted ;  but  the  frame's  wide  enough  to  cage  all 
that  your  wits  will  ever  work.  You  can  run  here  and 
wear  your  fingers  to  the  bone  without  bruising  your- 
self against  any  bars.  Go  down  in  the  churchyard  and 
take  a  look  at  the   Baskerville  slates  —  fifty  of  'em  if 


8o  THE    THREE    BROTHERS 

there's  one :  your  grandfather,  your  great-uncle,  the 
musicker,  and  all  the  rest.  And  every  man  and 
woman  of  the  lot  lived  and  died,  and  suffered  and 
sweated,  and  did  good  or  evil  within  this  picture- 
frame." 

"All  save  the  richest  —  him  that  went  to  foreign 
parts  and  made  a  fortune  and  sent  back  tons  of  money 
to  father  and  you  and  Uncle  Nat." 

Humphrey  laughed. 

"  Thou  hast  me  there  !  "  he  said.  "  But  don't  be 
discontented.  Bide  a  bit  and  see  how  the  wind  blows. 
I'm  not  against  a  man  following  the  spirit  that  calls 
him  ;  but  wait  and  find  out  whether  'tis  a  true  voice  or 
only  a  lying  echo.     What  does  Milly  say  ?  " 

" 'Tis  Milly  have  put  the  thought  into  me,  for  that 
matter.  She's  terrible  large  in  her  opinions.  She  holds 
that  father  haven't  got  no  right  to  refuse  to  let  us  be 
tokened.  She'd  come  and  talk  to  him,  if  I'd  let  her. 
A  regular  fear-nothing,  she  is." 

"  What  would  she  have  you  do  ?  " 

"  Gird  up  and  be  off.  She  comes  of  a  very  wander- 
ing family,  and,  of  course,  one  must  allow  for  that. 
I've  nought  to  say  against  it.  But  they  can't  bide  in 
one  spot  long.  Something  calls  'em  to  be  roam- 
mg. 

"  The  tribe  of  Esau." 

They  talked  on,  and  Rupert  found  himself  the 
better  for  some  caustic  but  sane  counsel. 

"  'Tis  no  good  asking  impossibilities  from  you,  and 
I'm  the  last  to  do  it,"  said  Humphrey.  "  There  are 
some  things  we  can't  escape  from,  and  our  characters 
are  one  of  them.  There's  no  more  sense  in  trying  to 
run  from  your  character  than  in  trying  to  run  from 
your  shadow.  Too  often  your  character  is  your 
shadow,  come  to  think  on  it ;  and  cruel  black  at  that. 
But  don't  be  impatient.     Wait  and  watch  yourself  as 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  8i 

well  as  other  people.  If  these  thoughts  have  been  put 
in  your  head  by  the  girl,  they  may  not  be  natural  to  you, 
and  they  may  not  be  digested  by  you.  See  how  your 
own  character  takes  'em.  I'm  not  against  courting, 
mind,  nor  against  early  marriages  ;  and  if  this  woman 
be  made  of  the  stuff  to  mix  well  and  close  with  your 
own  character,  then  marry  her  and  defy  the  devil  and 
all  his  angels  to  harm  you.  To  take  such  a  woman  is 
the  best  day's  work  that  even  the  hardest  working 
man  can  do  in  this  world.  But  meantime  don't 
whine,  but  go  ahead  and  gather  wisdom  and  learn  a 
little  about  the  things  that  happen  outside  the  picture- 
frame  —  as  I  do." 

They  turned  presently  and  went  back  to  dinner. 

Rupert  praised  his  uncle,  and  declared  that  life 
looked  the  easier  for  his  advice. 

"  'Tis  no  good  being  called  '  The  Hawk  '  if  you 
can't  sharpen  your  wits  as  well  as  your  claws,"  said  the 
old  man.  "Yes  —  you're  astonished  —  but  I  know 
what  they  call  me  well  enough." 

"  I  knocked  a  chap  down  last  Sunday  on  Cadworthy 
bridge  for  saying  it,"  declared  Rupert. 

"  Very  thoughtful  and  very  proper  to  stand  up  for 
your  family ;  but  I'm  not  hurt.  Maybe  there's  truth 
in  it.  I've  no  quarrel  with  the  hawks  —  or  the  herons 
either  —  for  all  they  do  eat  the  trout.  By  all  accounts 
there  was  birds  to  eat  trout  afore  there  was  men  to  eat 
*em.  We  humans  have  invented  a  saying  that  posses- 
sion is  nine  points  of  the  law;  but  we  never  thought 
much  of  that  when  it  comed  to  knocking  our  weaker 
neighbours  on  the  head  —  whether  they  be  birds  or 
men." 

"You've  made  me  a  lot  more  contented  with  the 
outlook,  anyway." 

"I'm  glad  to  hear  it.  Content's  the  one  thing  I'd 
wish   you  —  and   wish   myself.      I    can't   see   the   way 

G 


82  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

very  clear  yet.  Let  me  know  if  ever  you  come  by 
It. 

"  You  !  Why,  you'm  the  most  contented  of  any  of 
us. 

"  Come  and  eat,  and  don't  talk  of  what  you  know 
nought,"  said  Mr.  Baskerville. 

They  went  through  the  back  yard  of  the  homestead 
presently,  where  a  hot,  distinctive  odour  of  pigs  satu- 
rated the  air.  As  they  passed  by,  some  young,  very 
dirty,  pink  porkers  grunted  with  fat,  amiable  voices 
and  cuddled  to  their  lean  mother,  where  she  lay  in  a 
lair  of  ordure. 

"  That's  content,"  explained  Humphrey  ;  "  it  be- 
longs to  brainless  things,  and  only  to  them.  I 
haven't  found  it  among  men  and  women  yet,  and  I 
never  count  to.  Rainbow  gold  in  this  world.  Yet, 
don't  mistake  me,  I'm  seeking  after  it  still." 

"  Why  seek  for  it,  if  there's  no  such  thing,  uncle  ?  " 

"  Well  may  you  ask  that.  But  the  answer's  easy. 
Because  'tis  part  of  my  character  to  seek  for  it,  Ru- 
pert. Character  be  stronger  than  reason's  self,  if  you 
can  understand  that.      I  seek  because  I'm  driven." 

"  You  might  find  it  after  all,  uncle.  There  must  be 
such  a  thing  —  else  there'd  be  no  word  for  it." 

The  older  sighed. 

"  A  young  and  hopeful  fashion  of  thought,"  he 
said.  "  But  you're  out  there.  Men  have  made  up 
words  for  many  a  fine,  fancied  thing  their  hearts  long 
for ;  but  the  word  is  all  —  stillborn  out  of  poor  hu- 
man hope." 

He  brooded  deep  into  his  own  soul  upon  this 
thought  and  spoke  little  more  that  day.  But  Mark 
was  waiting  for  his  dinner  when  they  returned,  and  he 
and  Rupert  found  themes  in  common  to  occupy  them 
through  the  meal. 

The  great  project  of  the  new  vicar  chiefly  supplied 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  83 

conversation.  Rupert  felt  indifferent,  but  Mark  was 
much  interested. 

"  I'm  very  willing  to  lend  a  hand  all  I  can,  and  I 
expect  the  parish  will  support  it,"  he  said.  "  But  as 
for  play-acting  myself,  and  taking  a  part,  I  wouldn't 
for  all  the  world.  It  beats  me  how  anybody  can  get 
up  on  a  platform  and  speak  a  speech  afore  his  fellow- 
creatures  assembled." 

"  The  girls  will  like  it,"  foretold  Rupert. 

"  Cora  Lintern  is  to  play  a  part,"  declared  Mark ; 
"and  no  doubt  she'll  do  it  amazing  well." 

Rupert  was  up  in  arms  at  once. 

"  I  should  think  they'll  ask  Milly  Luscombe  too. 
She's  got  more  wits  than  any  of  'em." 

"  She  may  have  as  much  as  Cora,  but  not  more,  I 
can  assure  you  of  that,"  answered  Mark  firmly. 

He  rarely  contradicted  a  statement  or  opposed  an 
assertion ;  but  upon  this  great  subject  his  courage  was 
colossal. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

MR.  MASTERMAN  and  his  sister  made  more 
friends  than  enemies.  The  man's  good-nature 
and  energy  attracted  his  parishioners;  while  Miss 
Masterman,  though  not  genial,  was  sincere.  A  certain 
number  followed  the  party  of  Mr.  Gollop  and  Eliza, 
yet,  as  time  passed,  it  diminished.  The  surplices 
arrived;  the  girls  were  turned  out  of  the  choir;  but  the 
heavens  did  not  fall.  Even  the  Nonconformists  of 
Shaugh  Prior  regarded  the  young  vicar  with  friendliness, 
and  when  he  called  a  meeting  at  the  parish  room,  Mr. 
Nathan  Baskerville  and  others  who  stood  for  dissent, 
attended  it  in  an  amiable  spirit. 

Rumours  as  to  the  nature  of  the  proposition  had 
leaked  out,  and  they  were  vague;  but  a  very  general 
interest  had  been  excited,  and  when  the  evening  came 
the  vicar,  his  churchwardens,  and  friends,  found  a  con- 
siderable company  assembled. 

There  were  present  Vivian  and  Nathan  Baskerville, 
with  most  of  the  former's  family.  Mrs.  Lintern  and 
her  two  daughters  from  Undershaugh  also  came;  while 
Heathman  Lintern,  Ned  Baskerville,  and  other  young 
men  stood  in  a  group  at  the  rear  of  the  company. 
From  Trowlesworthy  arrived  the  warrener,  Saul  Lus- 
combe,  his  niece,  Milly,  and  his  man.  Jack  Head. 
People  looked  uneasy  at  sight  of  the  last,  for  he  was  a 
revolutionary  and  firebrand.  The  folk  suspected  that 
he  held  socialistic  views,  and  were  certain  that  he  worked 
harm  on  the  morals  of  younger  people.  Susan  Hacker, 
at  her  master's  wish,  attended  the  meeting  and  sat 
impassive  among  friends.  Thomas  Gollop  and  Joe 
Voysey,  the  vicarage  gardener,  sat  together;  but  Miss 

84 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  85 

Gollop  was  not  present,  because  her  services  were 
occupied  with  the  newly-born. 

A  buzz  and  babel  filled  the  chamber  and  the  heat 
increased.  Jack  Head  opened  a  window.  Whereupon 
Mr.  Gollop  rose  and  shut  it  again.  The  action  typi- 
fied that  eternal  battle  of  principle  which  waged  between 
them.  But  Vivian  Baskerville  was  on  the  side  of 
fresh  air. 

"Let  be!"  he  shouted.  "Us  don't  want  to  be 
roasted  alive,  Thomas!" 

So  the  window  was  opened  once  more,  and  Head 
triumphed. 

Dennis  Masterman  swiftly  explained  his  desire  and 
invited  the  parish  to  support  him  in  reviving  an  ancient 
and  obsolete  ceremonial. 

"The  oldest  men  among  you  must  remember  the 
days  of  the  Christmas  mummers,"  he  said.  "  I've  heard 
all  about  them  from  eye-witnesses,  and  it  strikes  me  that 
to  get  up  the  famous  play  of  *St.  George,'  with  the 
quaint  old-world  dialogue,  would  give  us  all  something 
to  do  this  winter,  and  be  very  interesting  and  instruc- 
tive, and  capital  fiin.  There  are  plenty  among  you  who 
could  act  the  parts  splendidly,  and  as  the  original 
version  is  rather  short  and  barren,  I  should  have  some 
choruses  written  in,  and  go  through  it  and  polish  it  up, 
and  perhaps  even  add  a  character  or  two.  In  the  old 
days  it  was  all  done  by  the  lads,  but  why  not  have  some 
lasses  in  it  as  well?  However,  these  are  minor  points 
to  be  decided  later.  Would  you  like  the  play  ?  that's  the 
first  question.  It  is  a  revival  of  an  ancient  custom.  It 
will  interest  a  great  many  people  outside  our  parish ;  and 
if  it  is  to  be  done  at  all,  it  must  be  done  really  well. 
Probably  some  will  be  for  it  and  some  against.  For  my 
part,  I  only  want  to  please  the  greater  number.  Those 
who  are  for  it  had  better  elect  a  spokesman,  and  let  him 
say  a  word  first;  then  we'll  hear  those  who  are  against." 


86  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

The  people  listened  quietly;  then  they  bent  this  way 
and  that,  and  discussed  the  suggestion.  Some  rose  and 
approached  Vivian  Baskerville,  where  he  sat  beside  his 
brother.  After  some  minutes  of  buzzing  conversation, 
during  which  Vivian  shook  his  head  vigorously,  and 
Nathan  as  vigorously  nodded,  the  latter  rose  with  re- 
luctance, and  the  folk  stamped  their  feet. 

"  'Tis  only  because  of  my  brother's  modest  nature 
that  I  get  up,"  he  explained.  "As  a  Church  of  England 
man  and  a  leader  among  us,  they  very  properly  wanted 
for  him  to  speak.  But  he  won't  do  it,  and  no  more 
will  young  Farmer  Waite,  and  no  more  will  Mr.  Lus- 
combe  of  Trowlesworthy ;  so  I'll  voice  'em  to  the  best 
of  my  power.  Though  I'm  of  t'other  branch  of  the 
Christian  Church,  yet  my  friends  will  bear  me  out  that 
I've  nothing  but  kind  feeling  and  regard  for  all  of  them, 
and  in  such  a  pleasant  matter  as  this  I  shall  do  all  in 
my  power  to  help  your  reverence,  as  we  all  shall.  For 
I  do  think  there's  none  but  will  make  the  mummers 
welcome  again,  and  lend  a  hand  to  lift  the  fun  into  a 
great  success.  Me  and  my  brother  and  Luscombe, 
and  Waite  and  Gollop,  and  Joe  Voysey,  and  a  good 
few  more,  can  well  remember  the  old  mumming  days; 
and  we'll  all  do  our  best  to  rub  up  our  memories.  So 
what  we  all  say  is, '  Go  ahead,  Mr.  Masterman,  and  good 
luck  to  it!'" 

Applause  greeted  Nathan.  The  folk  were  filled  with 
admiration  at  his  ready  turn  of  speech.  He  sat  down 
again  between  Mrs.  Lintern  and  Cora.  Everybody 
clapped  their  hands. 

Then  came  a  hiss  from  the  corner  where  Jack  Head 
stood. 

"A  dissentient  voice,"  declared  the  clergyman. 
"Who    is    that?" 

"  My  name  is  Jack  Head,  and  I  be  gwaine  to  offer 
objections,"  said  the  man  stoutly. 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  87 

"Better  save  your  wind  then  !"  snapped  Mr.  Gollop. 
"You  be  one  against  the  meeting." 

Head  was  a  middle-aged,  narrow-browed,  and  under- 
hung individual  of  an  iron-grey  colour.  His  body  was 
long  and  thin  ;  his  shoulders  were  high  ;  his  expression 
aggressive,  yet  humorous.  He  had  swift  wits  and  a 
narrow  understanding.  Hewasobservantandimpressed 
with  the  misery  of  the  world  ;  but  he  possessed  no  philo- 
sophical formulae  to  balance  his  observation  or  counsel 
patience  before  the  welter  of  life.  He  was  honest,  but 
scarce  knew  the  meaning  of  amenity. 

"  One  or  not  won't  shut  my  mouth,"  he  said.  "  I'm 
a  member  of  the  parish  so  much  as  you,  though  I  don't 
bleat  a  lot  of  wild  nonsense  come  every  seventh  day,  and 
I  say  that  to  spend  good  time  and  waste  good  money  this 
way  be  a  disgrace,  and  a  going  back  instead  of  going  for- 
ward. What  for  do  we  want  to  stir  up  a  lot  of  silly  dead 
foolishness  that  our  grandfathers  invented  ?  Ban't  there 
nothing  better  to  do  with  ourselves  and  our  wits  than 
dress  up  like  a  ship-load  of  monkeys  and  go  play-acting  ? 
We  might  so  well  start  to  wassail  the  apple-trees  and  put 
mourning  on  the  bee-butts  when  a  man  dies.  I'm 
against  it,  and  I  propose  instead  that  Mr.  Masterman 
looks  round  him  and  sees  what  a  miserable  Jakes  of  a 
mess  his  parish  be  in,  and  spends  his  time  trying  to  get 
the  landlords  to " 

"Order!  Order!  Withdraw  that  !"  cried  out  Mr. 
Gollop  furiously.  "How  dare  this  infidel  man  up  and 
say  the  parish  be  in  a  Jakes  of  a  mess  ?  Where's  Ben 
North  ? " 

"I'm  here,  Thomas,"  said  a  policeman,  who  stood  at 
the  door. 

"  You'm  a  silly  old  mumphead,"  replied  Jack.  "To 
hear  you  about  this  parish  —  God's  truth  !  I'll  tell  you 
this,  my  brave  hero.  When  the  devil  was  showing  the 
Lord  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth  and  the  glory  of  'em, 


88  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

he  kept  his  thumb  on  Shaugh  Prior,  so  as  none  should 
see  what  a  dung-heap  of  a  place  it  was." 

"Order!  Order!"  cried  Miss  Masterman  shrilly,  and 
Mr.  Gollop  grew  livid. 

"I  appeal  to  the  chair  !  I  appeal  to  the  nation  !"  he 
gasped.     Then  he  shook  his  fist  at  Jack. 

"There's  no  chair — not  yet,"  explained  Dennis. 
"As  soon  as  we  decide.  Til  take  the  chair,  and  we'll  ap- 
point a  committee  to  go  into  the  matter  and  arrange  the 
parts,  and  so  on.     The  first  thing  is,  are  we  agreed  ? " 

One  loud  shout  attested  to  the  sense  of  the  meeting. 

"Then,  Mr.  Head,  you're  in  a  minority  of  one,  and 
I  hope  we  may  yet  convince  you  that  this  innocent  re- 
vival is  not  a  bad  thing,"  said  Dennis.  "And  further 
than  that,  you  mustn't  run  down  Shaugh  Prior  in  this 
company.  We've  got  a  cheerful  conceit  of  ourselves, 
and  why  not  ?  Don't  think  I'm  dead  to  the  dark  side 
of  human  life,  and  the  sorrows  and  sufferings  of  the  poor. 
I  hope  you'll  all  very  soon  find  that  I'm  not  that  sort,  or 
my  sister  either.  And  the  devil  himself  can't  hide 
Shaugh  Prior  from  the  Lord  and  Saviour  of  us  all,  Mr. 
Head  —  have  no  fear  of  that." 

"  Sit  down.  Jack,  and  say  you'm  sorry,"  cried  Mr. 
Luscombe. 

"  Not  me,"  replied  Head.  "  I've  stated  my  views 
at  a  free  meeting,  and  I'm  on  the  losing  side,  like  men 
of  my  opinions  always  be  where  parsons  have  a  voice. 
But  me  and  my  friends  will  be  up  top  presently." 

"  Turn  him  out,  Ben  North  !  "  shouted  Mr.  Gol- 
lop ;  but  Ben  North  refused.  Indeed,  he  was  of 
Jack's  party. 

"  He've  done  nought  but  say  his  say,  and  I  shan't 
turn  him  out,"  the  policeman  answered.  "  There's 
nobody  in  the  chair  yet,  and  therefore  there's  none 
here  with  power  to  command  the  Law  to  move." 

A  committee  was  swiftly  formed.     It  consisted  of 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  89 

the  clergyman  and  certain  parishioners.  Nathan  joined 
it  for  his  family  ;  Mr.  Luscombe  also  joined,  and 
Dennis  promised  that  certain  local  antiquaries  and  the 
lord  of  the  manor  would  assist  the  enterprise. 

"While  we  are  here,"  he  said,  "we  may  as  well  get 
the  thing  well  advanced  and  decide  about  the  char- 
acters. All  those  interested  are  here,  so  why  not  let 
me  read  through  the  old  play  as  it  stands  ^  Then 
we'll  settle  the  parts,  and  each  can  copy  his  or  her  part 
in  turn." 

"  There's  nothing  like  being  fore-handed,"  admitted 
Nathan.  "  Let's  have  it  by  all  means.  We  shall 
want  young  and  old  to  play,  if  my  memory  serves  me." 

"  We  shall,  and  a  good  company  to  sing  the  songs 
that  I  hope  to  add.  My  sister,  our  organist,  will 
undertake  the  music." 

"  And  right  well  she'll  do  it,  without  a  doubt,"  de- 
clared Nathan.  "  On  all  hands  'tis  admitted  how  the 
church  music  has  mended  a  lot  since  she  took  it  up." 

Mr.  Masterman  then  read  a  version  of  the  old  play, 
and  its  ingenuous  humour  woke  laughter. 

"  Now,"  said  the  vicar  when  his  recital  was  at  an 
end,  "I'll  ask  those  among  us  who  will  volunteer  to 
act  —  ladies  and  gentlemen  —  to  come  forward.  Es- 
pecially I  appeal  to  the  ladies.  They'll  have  to  say 
very  little." 

"  Only  to  look  nice,  and  I'm  sure  that  won't  cost 
'em  an  effort,  for  they  can't  help  it,"  declared  Nathan. 

None  immediately  rose.  Then  Ned  Baskerville 
strolled  down  the   room. 

"  Best-looking  young  man  in  Shaugh,"  cried  an 
anonymous  voice. 

"  And  the  laziest !  "  answered  another  unknown. 

There  was  a  laugh  and  Ned  turned  ruddy. 

"  Thou'lt  never  take  trouble  enough  to  learn  thy 
part,  Ned  !  "  cried  Heathman  Lintern. 


90  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

"  Play  Turkish  knight,  my  son,"  said  his  father. 
"  Then  thou  can'st  be  knocked  on  the  head  and  die 
comfortable  without  more  trouble." 

Others  followed  Ned,  and  Mr.  Masterman  called 
for  Mark. 

"  You'll  not  desert  us,  Mark  ?  I  shall  want  your 
help,  I  know." 

"And  glad  to  give  it,"  answered  the  young  man. 
He  grew  very  hot  and  nervous  to  find  himself  named. 
His  voice  broke,  he  coughed  and  cut  a  poor  figure. 
Somebody  patted  him  on  the  back. 

"  Don't  be  frighted,  Mark,"  said  Vivian  Basker- 
ville ;  "  his  reverence  only  wants  for  you  to  do  what 
you  can.     He  wouldn't  ask  impossibilities." 

Mrs.  Baskerville  compared  her  handsome  son  to 
stammering  Mark  and  felt  satisfied.  Cora  Lintern 
also  contrasted  the  young  men,  and  in  her  bosom  was 
anything  but  satisfaction. 

"You  needn't  act,  but  you  must  help  in  many 
ways.  You're  so  well  up  in  the  old  lore  —  all  about 
our  legends  and  customs,"  explained  the  clergyman. 
"  We  count  on  you.  And  now  we  want  some  of 
the  older  men  among  you,  and  when  we've  settled 
them  we  must  come  to  the  ladies.  We're  getting  on 
splendidly.  Now  —  come  —  you  set  a  good  example, 
Thomas." 

"  Me  !  "  cried  Mr.  Gollop.  "  Me  to  play-act ! 
Whoever  heard  the  like  ?  " 

"You  must  play,  Thomas,"  urged  Vivian  Basker- 
ville of  Cadworthy.  "  Such  a  voice  can't  be  lost. 
What  a  King  of  Egypt  the  man   will  make  !  " 

"  I'll  do  a  part  if  you  will,  but  not  else,"  returned 
Gollop,  and  the  Baskerville  family  lifted  a  laugh  at 
their  father's  expense. 

"  For  that  matter  I've  took  the  stage  often  enough," 
admitted  Vivian ;  "  but  'twas    to    work,  not    to  talk. 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  91 

All  the  same,  if  his  reverence  would  like  for  me  to 
play  a  part,  why,  I'm  ready  and  willing,  so  long  as 
there  isn't  much  to  say  to  it." 

"  Hurrah  for  Mr.  Baskerville  !  "  shouted  several 
present. 

"And  Mr.  Nathan  must  play,  too,"  declared  Joe 
Voysey.     "  No  revel  would  be  complete  without  him." 

"  If  you'll  listen  I'll  tell  you  what  I  think,"  said  the 
clergyman.  "  I've  considered  your  parts  during  the 
last  five  minutes,  and  they  go  like  this  in  my  mind. 
Let's  take  them  in  order :  — 

"  St.  George,  Mr.  Ned  Baskerville.  Will  you  do 
St.  George,  Ned  ?  " 

"  Yes,  if  you  can't  find  a  better,"  said  the  young 
man. 

"  Good !  Now  the  Turkish  knight  comes  next. 
He  must  be  young  and  a  bit  of  a  fighter.  Will  you 
be  Turkish  knight,  Mr.  Waite  ?  " 

He  addressed  a  young,  good-looking,  dark  man, 
who  farmed  land  in  the  parish,  and  dwelt  a  few  miles 
off. 

Mr.  Waite  laughed  and  nodded. 

"Right  — I'll  try." 

"Well  done!  Now" — Mr.  Masterman  smiled 
and  looked  at  Jack  Head  —  "will  Mr.  Head  play  the 
Bear  —  to  oblige  us  all  ?  " 

Everybody  laughed,  including  Jack  himself. 

"  The  very  living  man  for  Bear  ! "  cried  Mr.  Lus- 
combe.     "  I  command  you.  Jack,  to  be  Bear ! " 

"You  ain't  got  much  to  do  but  growl  and  fight, 
Jack,  and  you're  a  oner  at  both,"  said  Heathman. 

"  Well,  I've  said  my  say,"  returned  Mr.  Head, 
"  and  I  was  in  a  minority.  But  since  this  parish  wants 
for  me  to  be  Bear,  I'll  Bear  it  out  so  well  as  I  can; 
and  if  I  give  St.  George  a  bit  of  a  hug  afore  he  bowls 
me  over,  he  mustn't  mind  that." 


92 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS 


"  Capital !  Thank  you,  Jack  Head.  Now,  who'll 
be  Father  Christmas  ?  I  vote  for  Mr.  Nathan  Basker- 
ville." 

Applause  greeted  the  suggestion,  but  Miss  Master- 
man  bent  over  from  her  seat  and  whispered  to  her 
brother.  He  shook  his  head,  however,  and  answered 
under  his  breath. 

"It  doesn't  matter  a  button  about  his  being  a  dis- 
senter. So  much  the  better.  Let's  draw  them  in  all 
we  can." 

"  You  ought  to  choose  the  church  people  first." 

"  It's  done  now,  anyway,"  he  replied.  "  Every- 
body likes  the  man.  We  must  have  him  in  it,  or  half 
the  folk  won't  come." 

"  The  King  of  Egypt  is  next,"  said  Nathan,  after  he 
had  been  duly  elected  to  Father  Christmas.  "  I  say 
Thomas  Gollop  here  for  the  part." 

"  I  don't  play  nought,"  answered  Thomas  firmly, 
"  unless  Vivian   Baskerville  do.      He's  promised." 

"  I'll  be  Giant,  then,  and  say  '  Fee-fo-fum  ! '  " 
answered  the  farmer.  "  'Twill  be  a  terrible  come- 
along-of-it  for  Ned  here,  and  I  warn  him  that  if  he 
don't  fight  properly  valiant,   I   won't  die." 

"The  very  man  —  the  only  man  for  Giant,"  de- 
clared Dennis  Masterman.  "  So  that's  settled.  Now, 
who's  for  Doctor  ?  That's  a  very  important  part.  I 
suppose  your  father  wouldn't  do  it,  Mark .?  He's 
just  the  wise-looking  face  for  a  doctor." 

"  My  brother  !  "  cried  Vivian.  "  Good  Lord  !  he'd 
so  soon  stand  on  his  head  in  the  market-place  as  lend 
a  hand  in  a  bit  of  nonsense  like  this.  Ask  Luscombe 
here.     Will  you  be  Doctor,  Saul  ^  " 

But  Mr.  Luscombe  refused. 

"Not  in  my  line.  Here's  Joe  Voysey  —  he's 
doctored  a  lot  of  things  in  his  time  —  haven't  you, 
Joe?" 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  93 

"Will  you  be  Doctor,  Joe?"  asked  Mr.  Master- 
man. 

But  Joe  refused. 

"Too  much  to  say,"  he  answered.  "  I  might  larn 
it  with  a  bit  of  sweat,  but  I  should  never  call  it  home 
when  the  time  came." 

"  Be  the  French  Eagle,  Joe,"  suggested  Mark 
Baskerville.  "  You've  got  but  little  to  say,  and  St. 
George  soon  settles  you." 

"  And  the  very  living  nose  for  it,  Joe,"  urged  Mr. 
Gollop. 

"Very  well,  if  the  meeting  is  for  it,  I'll  be  Eagle," 
assented  Mr.  Voysey. 

The  part  of  Doctor  remained  unfilled  for  the  pres- 
ent. 

"  Now  there's  the  fair  Princess  Sabra  and  Mother 
Dorothy,"  explained  the  vicar.  "  Princess  Sabra,  the 
King  of  Egypt's  daughter,  will  be  a  novelty,  for  she 
didn't  come  into  the  old  play  in  person.  She  doesn't 
say  anything,  but  she  must  be  there." 

"  Miss  Lintern  for  Princess  Sabra !  "  said  Mark. 

Everybody  laughed,  and  the  young  man  came  In 
for  some  chaff;  but  Dennis  approved,  and  Mrs.  Lin- 
tern nodded  and  smiled.  Cora  blushed  and  Nathan 
patted  Mark  on  the  back. 

"  A  good  idea,  and  we're  all  for  it,"  he  said. 

To  Cora,  as  the  belle  of  the  village,  belonged  the 
part  by  right.  She  was  surprised  and  gratified  at  this 
sudden  access  of  importance. 

Then  the  vicar  prepared  to  close  his  meeting. 

"  For  Mother  Dorothy  we  want  a  lady  of  mature 
years  and  experience.  The  part  is  often  played  by  a 
man,  but  I  would  sooner  a  lady  played  it,  if  we  can 
persuade  one  to  do  so,"  he  said. 

"Mrs.  Hacker!  Mrs.  Hacker!"  shouted  a  mis- 
chievous young  man  at  the  back  of  the  hall. 


94  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

"  Never,"  said  Susan  Hacker  calmly.  "  Not  that 
I'd  mind  ;  but  whatever  would  my  master  say  ?  " 

"  Let  niy  sister  play  the  part,"  suggested  Thomas. 
"  Eliza  Gollop  fears  nought  on  two  legs.  She'll  go 
bravely  through  with  it." 

Mr.  Nathan's  heart  sank,  but  he  could  not  object. 

The  company  was  divided.  Then,  to  the  surprise 
of  not  a  few,  Mrs.  Hacker  spoke  again.  The  hated 
name  had  dispelled  her  doubts. 

"I'll  do  it,  and  chance  master,"  she  said.  "Yes, 
there's  no  false  shame  in  me,  I  beheve.  I'll  do  it  rather 
than " 

"  You're  made  for  the  part,  ma'am,"  declared  Mr. 
Nathan,  much  relieved.  "  And  very  fine  you'll  look. 
You've  got  to  kiss  Father  Christmas  at  the  end  of  the 
play,  though.      I  hope  you  don't  mind  that." 

"  That's  why  she's  going  to  act  the  part !  "  shouted 
Heathman,  and  laughter  drowned  Mrs.  Hacker's  reply. 

In  good  spirits  the  company  broke  up,  and  the  young 
folk  went  away  excited,  the  old  people  interested  and 
amused. 

Merriment  sounded  on  the  grey  July  night;  many 
women  chattered  about  the  play  till  long  after  their  usual 
hour  for  sleep  ;  and  plenty  of  coarse  jests  as  to  the  prom- 
ised entertainment  were  uttered  at  the  bar  of  *  The 
White  Thorn '  presently. 

As  for  the  vicar  and  his  sister,  they  felt  that  they  had 
achieved  a  triumph.  Two  shadows  alone  darkened  the 
outlook  in  Miss  Masterman's  eyes.  She  objected  to 
the  Nonconformist  element  as  undesirable  or  unneces- 
sary ;  and  she  did  not  like  the  introduction  of  Queen 
Sabra. 

"  That  showy  girl  is  quite  conceited  enough  already," 
she  said. 

But  her  brother  was  young  and  warm-hearted. 

"  She's  lovely,  though,"  he  said.     "  By  Jove  !    the 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  95 

play  will  be  worth  doing,  if  only  to  see  her  got  up  like 
a  princess  !  " 

"  Don't  be  silly,  Dennis,"  answered  his  sister.  "  She's 
a  rude  wretch,  and  the  Linterns  are  the  most  indepen- 
dent people  in  the  parish." 


CHAPTER   IX 

AT  high  summer  two  men  and  two  maids  kept 
pubHc  holiday  and  wove  romance  under  the  great 
crown  of  Pen  Beacon.  From  this  border  height 
the  South  Hams  spread  in  a  mighty  vision  of  rounded 
hills  and  plains ;  whole  forests  were  reduced  to  squat, 
green  cushions  laid  upon  the  broad  earth's  bosom ; 
and  amid  them  glimmered  wedges  and  squares  of 
ripening  corn,  shone  root  crops,  smiled  water  mead- 
ows, and  spread  the  emerald  faces  of  shorn  hayfields. 

It  was  a  day  of  lowering  clouds  and  illumination 
breaking  through  them.  Fans  of  light  fell  between 
the  piled-up  cumuli,  and  the  earth  was  mottled  with 
immense,  alternate  patches  of  shadow  and  sunshine. 
Thick  and  visible  strata  of  air  hung  heavy  between 
earth  and  sky  at  this  early  hour.  They  presaged 
doubt,  and  comprehended  a  condition  that  might 
presently  diffuse  and  lift  into  unclouded  glory  of 
August  light,  or  darken  to  thunderstorm.  Southerly 
the  nakedness  of  Hanger  Down  and  the  crags  of 
Eastern  and  Western  Beacons  towered ;  while  to  the 
east  were  Quickbeam  Hill,  Three  Barrows,  and 
the  featureless  expanses  of  Stall  Moor.  Northerly 
towered  Penshiel,  and  the  waste  spread  beyond  it  in 
long  leagues,  whose  planes  were  flattened  out  by  dis- 
tance and  distinguished  against  each  other  by  sleeping 
darkness  and  waking  light. 

A  fuliginous  heaviness,  that  stained  air  at  earth's 
surface,  persisted  even  on  this  lofty  ground,  and  the 
highest  passages  of  aerial  radiance  were  not  about  the 
sun,  but  far  beneath  it  upon  the  horizon. 

Rupert  Baskerville  trudged  doubtfully  forward,  snifF- 

96 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  97 

ing  the  air  and  watching  the  sky,  while  beside  him 
came  Milly  Luscombe;  and  a  quarter  of  a  mile  behind 
them  walked  Mark  and  Cora  Lintern.  The  men  had 
arranged  to  spend  their  holiday  up  aloft,  and  Milly 
was  well  pleased ;  but  Cora  held  the  expedition  vain 
save  for  what  it  should  accomplish.  To  dawdle  in 
the  Moor  when  she  might  have  been  at  a  holiday 
revel  was  not  her  idea  of  pleasure ;  but  as  soon  as 
Mark  issued  his  invitation  she  guessed  that  he  did  so 
with  an  object,  and  promised  to  join  him. 

As  yet  the  definite  word  had  not  passed  his  lips, 
though  it  had  hovered  there ;  but  to-day  Miss  Lintern 
was  resolved  to  return  from  Pen  Beacon  betrothed. 
As  for  Mark,  his  hope  chimed  with  her  intention. 
Cora  was  always  gracious  and  free  of  her  time,  while 
he  played  the  devout  lover  and  sincerely  held  her 
above  him  every  way.  Only  the  week  before  Heath- 
man,  obviously  inspired  to  do  so,  had  asked  him  why 
he  kept  off,  and  declared  that  it  would  better  become 
him  to  speak.  And  now,  feeling  that  the  meal  pres- 
ently to  be  taken  would  be  of  a  more  joyous  character 
after  than  before  the  deed,  he  stopped  Cora  while  yet 
a  mile  remained  to  trudge  before  they  should  reach 
the  top  of  the  tor. 

"  Rest  a  bit,"  he  said.  "  Let  Rupert  and  Milly  go 
forward.  They  don't  want  us,  and  we  shall  all  meet 
in  the  old  roundy-poundies  up  over,  where  we're  going 
to  eat  our  dinner." 

"  Looks  as  if  'twas  offering  for  bad  weather,"  she 
answered,  lifting  her  eyes  to  the  sky.  "  I'm  glad  I 
didn't  put  on  my  new  muslin." 

She  sat  on  a  stone  and  felt  that  he  was  now  going  to 
ask  her  to  marry  him.  She  was  not  enthusiastic  about 
him  at  the  bottom  of  her  heart ;  but  she  knew  that 
he  would  be  rich  and  a  good  match  for  a  girl  in  her 
position.     She  was  prone  to  exaggerate    her    beauty, 

H 


g8  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

and  had  hoped  better  things  from  it  than  Mark 
Baskerville ;  but  certain  minor  romances  with  more 
important  men  had  come  to  nothing.  She  was  practi- 
cal and  made  herself  see  the  bright  side  of  the  contract. 
He  was  humble  and  she  could  influence  him  as  she 
pleased.  He  worshipped  her  and  would  doubtless 
continue  to  do  so. 

Once  his  wife  she  proposed  to  waken  in  him  a  bet- 
ter conceit  of  himself  and,  when  his  father  died,  she 
would  be  able  to  *  blossom  out,'  as  she  put  it  to  her 
sister,  and  hold  her  head  high  in  the  land.  There  were 
prospects.  Nathan  Baskerville  was  rich  also,  and  he 
was  childless.  He  liked  Mark  well,  and  on  one  occa- 
sion, when  she  came  into  the  farm  kitchen  at  Under- 
shaugh  suddenly,she  overheard  Nathan  say  to  her  mother, 
"  No  objection  —  none  at  all  —  a  capital  match  for  her." 

Mark  put  down  the  basket  that  carried  their  meal 
and  took  a  seat  beside  Cora. 

"'Tisn't  going  to  rain,"  he  said.  "I  always  know 
by  my  head  if  there's  thunder  in  the  elements.  It 
gets  a  sort  of  heavy,  aching  feeling.  Look  yonder,  the 
clouds  are  levelling  off  above  the  Moor  so  true  as  if 
they'd  been  planed.  That's  the  wind's  work.  Why, 
there's  enough  blue  showing  to  make  you  a  new  dress 
a'ready,  Cora." 

"I'd  love  a  dress  of  such  blue  as  that.  Blue's  my 
colour,"  she  said. 

"Yes,  it  is  —  though  you  look  lovely  enough  in  any 
colour. 

"  I  like  to  please  you,  Mark." 

"Oh,  Cora,  and  don't  you  please  me?  Little  you 
know  —  little  you  know.  I've  had  it  on  my  tongue  a 
thousand  times — yet  it  seems  too  bold  —  from  such  as 
me  to  you.  Why,  there's  none  you  mightn't  look  to; 
and  if  you'd  come  of  a  higher  havage,  you'd  have  been 
among  the  loveliest  ladies  in  the  land.     And  so  you  are 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  99 

now,  for  that  matter — only  you're  hid  away  in  this 
savage  old  place  —  like  a  beautiful  pearl  under  the  wild 
sea. 

This  had  long  been  Cora's  own  opinion.  She  smiled 
and  touched  the  hair  on  her  hot  forehead. 

"If  there  comes  on  a  fog,  I  shall  go  out  of  curl  in  a 
minute,"  she  said.  Then,  seeing  that  this  prophecy 
silenced  him,  she  spoke  again. 

"I  love  to  hear  you  tell  these  kind  things,  Mark. 
I'd  sooner  please  you  than  any  man  living.  Perhaps 
'tis  over-bold  in  me  to  say  so;  but  I'm  telling  nought 
but  truth." 

"Truth  ban't  often  so  beautiful  as  that,"  he  said 
slowly.  "And  'tis  like  your  brave  heart  to  say  it  out; 
and  here's  truth  for  your  truth,  Cora.  If  you  care  to 
hear  me  say  I  think  well  of  you,  then  I  care  to  hear 
you  speak  well  of  me;  and  more:  nobody  else's  good 
word  is  better  than  wind  in  the  trees  against  your 
slightest  whisper.  So  that  I  please  you,  I  care  nothing 
for  all  the  world;  and  if  you'll  let  me,  I'll  live  for  you 
and  die  for  you.  For  that  matter  I've  lived  for  only 
you  these  many  days,  and  if  you'll  marry  me — there 
—  'tis  out.  I'm  a  vain  chap  even  to  dare  to  say  it; 
but  'tis  you  have  made  me  so  —  'tis  your  kind  words 
and  thoughts  for  me  —  little  thoughts  that  peep  out 
and  dear  little  kind  things  done  by  you  and  forgotten 
by  you ;  but  never  by  me,  Cora.  Can  you  do  it  ?  Can 
you  sink  down  to  me,  or  is  it  too  much  of  a  drop? 
Others  have  lowered  themselves  for  love  and  never 
regretted  it.  'Tis  a  fall  for  such  a  bright,  lovely  star 
as  you;  but  my  love's  ready  to  catch  you,  so  you  shan't 
hurt  yourself.     I  —  I " 

He  broke  off  and  she  seemed  really  moved.  She 
put  her  hand  on  his  two,  which  were  knotted  together; 
and  then  she  looked  love  into  his  straining  eyes  and 
nodded. 


loo  THE    THREE    BROTHERS 

His  hands  opened  and  seized  hers  and  squeezed  them 
till  she  drew  in  her  breath.  Then  he  put  his  arms 
round  her  and  kissed  her. 

"Don't  move,  for  God's  sake!"  he  said.  "D'you 
know  what  you've  done?" 

"Given  myself  to  a  dear  good  chap,"  she  answered. 

In  her  heart  she  was  thanking  heaven  that  she  had 
not  worn  the  new  muslin  dress. 

"Weather  or  no  weather,  he'd  have  creased  it  and 
mangled  it  all  over  and  ruined  it  for  ever,"  she  thought. 

They  proceeded  presently,  but  made  no  haste  to 
overtake  their  companions.  Their  talk  was  of  the 
future  and  marriage.  He  pressed  for  an  early  union ; 
she  was  in  no  hurry. 

"You  must  learn  a  bit  more  about  me  first,"  she 
told  him.  "Maybe  I'm  not  half  as  nice  as  you  think. 
And  there's  your  father.    I'm  terrible  frightened  of  him." 

"You  need  not  be,  Cora.  He's  not  against  early 
marriage.  You  must  come  and  see  him  pretty  soon. 
He'll  be  right  glad  for  my  sake,  though  he'll  be  sure 
to  tell  me  I've  had  better  luck  than  I  deserve." 

She  considered  awhile  without  speaking. 

"I'm  afraid  I  shan't  bring  you  much  money,"  she 
said. 

"What's  money?  That's  the  least  thing.  I  shall 
have  plenty  enough,  no  doubt." 

"What  will  your  father  do?  Then  there's  your 
uncle,  Mr.  Nathan.  He's  terrible  rich,  by  all  accounts, 
and  he  thinks  very  well  of  you." 

"I  shall  be  all  right.  But  I'm  a  lazy  man  —  too 
lazy.  I  shall  turn  my  hand  to  something  steady 
when  we're  married." 

"  Such  a  dreamer  you  are.  Not  but  what,  with  all 
your  great  cleverness,  you  ban't  worth  all  the  young 
men  put  together  for  brains." 

"  I'm  going   to  set  to.     My  father's  often   at  me 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  loi 

about  wasting  my  life.  But,  though  he'd  scorn  the 
word,  he's  a  bit  of  a  dreamer  too  —  in  his  way. 
You'd  never  guess  it;  but  he  spends  many  long  hours 
all  alone,  brooding  about  things.  And  he's  a  very 
sharp-eyed,  clever  man.  He  marks  the  seasons  by 
the  things  that  happen  out  of  doors.  He'll  come 
down  off  our  tor  that  cheerful  sometimes,  you 
wouldn't  believe  'twas  him.  *  Curlew's  back  on  the 
Moor,'  he'll  say  one  day  ;  then  another  day,  *  Oaks 
are  budding ' ;  then  again,  *  First  frost  to-night,'  or 
*  Thunder's  coming.'  His  bark  is  worse  than  his 
bite,  really." 

"  'Tis  his  terrible  eyes  I  fear.  They  look  through 
you.  He  makes  me  feel  small,  and  I  always  hate 
anybody  that  does  that." 

"You  mustn't  hate  him.  Too  many  do  already. 
But  'twould  be  better  to  feel  sorry  for  him.  He's 
often  a  very  unhappy  old  man.  I  feel  it,  but  I  can't 
see  the  reason,  and  he  says  nothing." 

She  pouted. 

"  I  wish  I  hadn't  got  to  see  him.  Why,  his  own 
brother  —  your  Uncle  Nathan  —  even  he  can't  hit  it 
off  with  him.  And  I'm  sure  there  must  be  some- 
thing wrong  with  a  man  that  can't  get  on  with  Mr. 
Nathan.  Everybody  is  fond  of  him ;  but  I've  often 
heard  him  say " 

"  Leave  it,"  interrupted  Mark.  "  I  know  all  that, 
Cora.  'Tis  just  one  of  those  puzzles  that  happen. 
'Tis  no  good  fretting  about  anybody  else :  what 
you've  got  to  do  is  to  make  my  father  love  you. 
And  you've  only  got  to  be  yourself  and  he  must 
love  you." 

"  Of  course  I'll  do  my  best." 

"  Give  me  just  one  more  lovely  kiss,  before  we  get 
over  the  hill-top  and  come  in  sight  of  them.  We're 
to  meet  at  the  '  old  men's '  camp." 


I02  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

She  kissed  him  and  then  silence  fell  between  them. 
It  lasted  a  long  while  until  he  broke  it. 

"  Don't  fancy  because  I'm  so  still  that  I'm.  not  burst- 
ing with  joy,"  he  said.  "But  when  I  think  of  what's 
happened  to  me  this  minute,  I  feel  'tis  too  big  for 
words.  The  thoughts  in  me  can't  be  spoken,  Cora. 
They  are  too  large  to  cram  into  little  pitiful  speeches." 

"  I'm  getting  hungry  ;  and  there's  Milly  waving," 
she  answered. 

"  Milly's  hungry  too,  belike." 

Eastward,  under  Pen  Beacon,  lay  an  ancient  lodge 
of  the  neolithic  people.  The  circles  of  scattered 
granite  shone  grey,  set  in  foliage  and  fruit  of  the 
bilberry,  with  lichens  on  the  stone  and  mosses  woven 
into  the  grass  about  them.  A  semicircle  of  hills  ex- 
tended beyond  and  formed  a  mighty  theatre  where 
dawn  and  storm  played  their  parts,  where  falling 
night  was  pictured  largely  and  moonshine  slept 
upon  lonely  heights  and  valleys.  In  the  glen  be- 
neath spread  Dendles  Wood,  with  fringes  of  larch 
and  pine  hiding  the  River  Yealm  and  spreading  a 
verdant  medley  of  deep  summer  green  in  the  lap  of 
the  grey  hills.  Gold  autumn  furzes  flashed  along  the 
waste,  and  the  pink  ling  broke  into  her  first  tremble 
of  colourless  light  that  precedes  the  blush  of  fulness. 

The  party  of  four  sat  in  a  hut  circle  and  spoke  little 
while  they  ate  and  drank.  Rupert,  unknown  to  the 
rest,  and  much  to  his  own  inconvenience,  had  dragged 
up  six  stone  bottles  of  ginger-beer  hidden  under  his 
coat.  These  he  produced  and  was  much  applauded. 
A  spring  broke  at  hand,  and  the  bottles  were  sunk 
therein  to  cool  them. 

They  talked  together  after  a  very  practical  and 
businesslike  fashion.  Milly  and  Rupert  were  defi- 
nitely engaged  in  their  own  opinion,  and  now  when 
Mark,  who  could  not  keep  in  the  stupendous  event 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  103 

of  the  moment,  announced  it,  they  congratulated  the 
newly  engaged  couple  with  the  wisdom  and  experience 
of  those  who  had  long  entered  that  state. 

"  'Tis  a  devilish  unrestful  condition,  I  can  promise 
you,"  said  Rupert,  "  and  the  man  always  finds  it  so  if 
the  girl  don't.  Hanging  on  is  just  hell  —  especially 
in  my  case,  where  I  can't  get  father  to  see  with  my 
eyes.  But,  thank  God,  Milly's  jonic.  She  won't 
change." 

"  No,"  said  Milly,  "  I  shan't  change.  'Tis  you 
have  got  to  change.  I  respect  your  father  very  much, 
like  the  rest  of  the  world,  but  because  he  didn't  marry 
till  he  was  turned  forty-five,  that's  no  reason  why  you 
should  wait  twenty  years  for  it.  Anyway,  if  you  must, 
so  will  I  —  only  I  shall  be  a  thought  elderly  for  the 
business  by  that  time.     However,  it  rests  with  you." 

"I'm  going  —  that's  what  she  means,"  explained 
Rupert.  "Jack  Head  and  me  have  had  a  talk,  and 
he's  thrown  a  lot  of  light  on  things  in  general.  I 
can't  be  bound  hand  and  foot  to  my  father  like  this ; 
and  if  he  won't  meet  me,  I  must  take  things  into  my 
own  hands  and  leave  home." 

Mark  was  staggered  at  the  enormity  of  such  a  plan. 

"  Don't  do  anything  in  a  hurry  and  without  due 
thought." 

"  Very  well  for  you  to  talk,"  said  Milly.  "You  do 
nought  but  ring  the  bells  on  Sundays,  and  play  at 
work  the  rest  of  the  week.  Mr.  Humphrey  won't 
stand  in  your  way.  I  suppose  you  could  be  married 
afore  Christmas,  if  you  pleased." 

She  sighed  at  the  glorious  possibility. 

"  I  hope  we  shall  be ;  but  Cora's  in  no  hurry,  I'm 
afraid." 

"And  when  I've  got  work,"  continued  Rupert, 
"  then  I  shall  just  look  round  and  take  a  house  and 
marry  ;  and  why  not  ?  " 


I04 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS 


"  Your  father  will  never  let  you  go.  It  isn't  to  be 
thought  upon,"  declared  Mark. 

"  Then  he  must  be  reasonable.  He  appears  to 
forget  I'm  nearly  twenty-four,"  answered  his  cousin. 

Conversation  ranged  over  their  problems  and  their 
hopes.  Then  Rupert  touched  another  matrimonial 
disappointment. 

"  It  looks  as  if  we  were  not  to  be  fortunate  in  love," 
he  said.  "  There's  Ned  terrible  down  on  his  luck. 
He's  offered  marriage  again  —  to  Farmer  Chave's 
second  daughter ;  and  'twas  as  good  as  done ;  but  Mr. 
Chave  wouldn't  hear  of  it,  and  he's  talked  the  girl  round 
and  Ned's  got  chucked." 

"  Serve  him  right,"  said  Milly.  "  He  jilted  two 
girls.     'Twill  do  him  good  to  smart  a  bit  himself." 

"  The  Chaves  are  a  lot  too  high  for  us,"  asserted 
Mark.  "  He's  a  very  well-born  and  rich  man,  and 
his  father  was  a  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  known  in 
London.      He  only  farms  to  amuse  himself." 

" 'Twas  Ned's  face,  I  reckon,"  said  Cora.  "They 
Chave  women  are  both  terrible  stuck  up.  Makes  me 
sick  to  see  'em  in  church  all  in  their  town-made  clothes. 
But  fine  feathers  won't  make  fine  birds  of  them. 
They'm  both  flat  as  a  plate,  and  a  lot  older  than  they 
pretend.     Ned  is  well  out  of  it,  I  reckon." 

"  He  don't  think  so,  however,"  replied  Rupert. 
**  I've  never  known  him  take  any  of  his  affairs  to 
heart  like  this  one.  Moped  and  gallied  he  is,  and 
creeps  about  with  a  face  as  long  as  a  fiddle ;  and  off  his 
food  too." 

"  Poor  chap,"  said  Cora  feelingly. 

"  Even  talks  of  ending  it  and  making  away  with 
himself.     Terrible  hard  hit,   I  do  believe." 

"  Your  mother  must  be  in  a  bad  way  about  him," 
said  Milly. 

"  She  is.     Why,  he  took  mother  down  to  the  river 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  105 

last  Sunday  and  showed  her  a  big  hole  there,  where 
Plym  comes  over  the  rocks  and  the  waters  all  a-boil 
and  twelve  feet  deep.  '  That's  where  you'll  find  me, 
mother,'  he  says.  And  she,  poor  soul,  was  frightened 
out  of  her  wits.  And  father's  worried  too,  for  Ned 
can't  go  wrong  with  him.  Ned  may  always  do  what 
he  likes,  though  I  may  not." 

Cora  declared  her  sympathy,  but  Mark  did  not  take 
the  incident  as  grave. 

"  You  needn't  fear,"  he  assured  Ned's  brother. 
"  Men  that  talk  openly  of  killing  themselves,  never  do 
it.  Words  are  a  safety-valve.  'Tis  the  sort  that  go 
silent  and  cheerful  under  a  great  blow  that  be  nearest 
death." 

Cora  spoke  of  Ned's  looks  with  admiration  and 
feared  that  this  great  disappointment  might  spoil 
them  ;  but  Milly  was  not  so  sympathetic. 

"  If  he  stood  to  work  and  didn't  think  so  much 
about  the  maidens,  they  might  think  a  bit  more  about 
him,"  she  said. 

"  He  swears  he  won't  play  St.  George  now,"  added 
Rupert.  "He  haven't  got  the  heart  to  go  play-acting 
no  more." 

"  He'll  find  twenty  girls  to  go  philandering  after 
afore  winter,"  foretold  Milly.  "And  if  Cora  here  was 
to  ask  him,  he'd  play  St.  George  fast  enough." 

"  'Twill  be  a  very  poor  compliment  to  me  if  he  cries 
off  now,"  declared  Cora.  "For  I'm  to  be  the  prin- 
cess, and  'tis  pretended  in  the  play  that  he's  my  true 
lover." 

"Mark  will  be  jealous  then.  'Tis  a  pity  he  don't 
play  St.  George,"  said  Milly. 

But  Mark  laughed. 

"  A  pretty  St.  George  me  !  "  he  answered.  "  No, 
no  ;  I'm  not  jealous  of  Ned.  Safety  in  numbers, 
they   say.      Let   him    be    St.    George   and   welcome ; 


io6  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

and  very  noble  he'll  look  —  if  ever  he's  got  brains 
enough  in  his  empty  noddle  to  get  the  words  and  re- 
member them." 

Cora  cast  a  swift  side  glance  at  her  betrothed.  She 
did  not  speak,  but  the  look  was  not  all  love.  Discon- 
tent haunted  her  for  a  little  space. 

The  ginger-beer  was  drunk  and  the  repast  finished. 
The  men  lighted  their  pipes ;  the  girls  talked  to- 
gether. 

Milly  congratulated  Cora  very  heartily. 

"  He's  a  fine,  witty  chap,  as  I've  always  said.  Dif- 
ferent to  most  of  us,  along  of  being  better  eggicated. 
But  that  modest  and  retiring,  few  people  know  what  a 
clever  man  he  is." 

These  things  pleased  the  other,  and  she  was  still 
more  pleased  when  Milly  discussed  Mark's  father. 

"I  often  see  him,"  she  said  — "  oftener  than  you 
might  think  for.  He'll  ride  to  Trowlesworthy  twice 
and  thrice  a  month  sometimes.  Why  for  ?  To  see 
my  uncle,  you  might  fancy.  But  that's  not  the  reason. 
To  talk  with  Jack  he  comes.  '  Jack  Head  and  me  be 
the  only  people  in  these  parts  that  ban't  afraid  of  him. 
And  that's  what  he  likes.  You  be  fearless  of  him, 
Cora,  or  he'll  think  nought  of  thee.  Fearless  and 
attentive  to  what  he  says  —  that's  the  rule  with  him. 
And  pretend  nothing,  or  he'll  see  through  it  and  pull 
you  to  pieces.  Him  and  Jack  Head  says  the  most 
tremendous  things  about  the  world  and  its  ways. 
They  take  Uncle  Saul's  breath  away  sometimes,  and 
mine  too.  But  don't  let  him  frighten  you  —  that's  the 
fatal  thing.  If  a  creature's  feared  of  him,  he  despises 
it.     Never  look  surprised  at  his  speeches." 

Cora  hstened  to  this  advice  and  thanked  the  other 
girl  for  it. 

"  Why  should  I  care  a  button  for  the  old  man,  any- 
way ?  "  she  asked.     "  If  it  comes  to  that,  I'm  as  good 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS 


107 


as  him.  There's  nought  to  fear  really,  when  all's  said. 
And  I  won't  fear." 

The  men  strolled  about  the  old  village  and  gathered 
whortleberries ;  then  Rupert  judged  that  the  storm 
that  had  skulked  so  long  to  the  north,  was  coming  at 
last. 

"  We'd  best  be  getting  down-along,"  he  said. 
"  Let's  go  across  to  Trowlesworthy  ;  then,  if  it  breaks, 
we  can  slip  into  the  warren  house  a  bit  till  the  worst  be 
over." 

"  You  be  all  coming  to  drink  tea  there,"  said  Milly. 
"  Uncle  Saul  and  Jack  Head  are  away,  but  aunt  be 
home,  and  I  made  the  cakes  specially  o'  Saturday." 

Drifting  apart  by  a  half  a  mile  or  so,  the  young 
couples  left  the  Beacon,  climbed  Penshiel,  and  thence 
passed  over  the  waste  to  where  the  red  tor  rose  above 
Milly  Luscombe's  home. 

A  sort  of  twilight  stole  at  four  o'clock  over  the 
earth,  and  it  seemed  that  night  hastened  up  while  yet 
the  hidden  sun  was  high.  The  sinister  sky  darkened 
and  frowned  to  bursting ;  yet  no  rain  fell,  and  later  it 
grew  light  again,  as  the  sun,  sinking  beneath  the  ridges 
of  the  clouds,  flooded  the  Moor  with  the  greatest 
brightness  that  the  day  had  known. 


CHAPTER   X 

SOME  few  weeks  after  it  was  known  that  young 
Mark  Baskerville  would  marry  Cora  Lintern,  a 
small  company  drank  beer  at  *  The  White  Thorn  ' 
and  discussed  local  politics  in  general,  and  the  engage- 
ment in  particular.     The  time  was  three  in  the  after- 
noon. 

"  They'll  look  to  you  for  a  wedding  present  without 
a  doubt,"  said  Mr.  Gollop  to  Nathan,  who  stood  behind 
his  bar. 

"And  they'll  be  right,"  answered  the  innkeeper. 
"  I'm  very  fond  of  'em  both." 

"  You'll  be  put  to  it  to  find  rich  gifts  for  all  your 
young  people,  however." 

"  That's  as  may  be.  If  the  Lord  don't  send  you 
sons,  the  Devil  will  send  you  nephews  —  you  know 
the  old  saying.  Not  but  what  Vivian's  boys  and  girls 
are  a  very  nice  lot  —  I  like  'em  all  very  well  indeed. 
Mark's  different  —  clever  enough,  but  made  of  another 
clay.  His  mother  was  a  retiring,  humble  woman  — 
frightened  of  her  own  shadow,  you  might  say.  How- 
ever, Cora  will  wake  him  into  a  cheerfuller  conceit  of 
himself." 

There  was  an  interruption,  for  Dennis  Masterman 
suddenly  filled  the  doorway. 

''  The  very  men  I  want,"  he  said ;  then  he  entered. 

"  Fine  sweltering  weather  for  the  harvest,  your 
honour,"  piped  an  old  fellow  who  sat  on  a  settle  by 
the  window  with  a  mug  of  beer  beside  him. 

"  So  it  is,  Abel,  and  I  hope  there's  another  month  of 
it  to  come.     Give  me  half  a  pint  of  the  mild,  will  you, 

io8 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS 


109 


Baskerville  ?  'Tis  about  the  rehearsal  I've  looked  in. 
Thursday  week  is  the  day  —  at  seven  o'clock  sharp, 
remember.  And  I'm  very  anxious  that  everybody 
shall  know  their  words.  It  will  save  a  lot  of  trouble 
and  help  us  on." 

"  I've  got  mine  very  near,"  said  Nathan. 

«  So  have  I,"  declared  Mr.  Gollop.  " '  Here  I,  the 
King  of  Egypt,  boldly  do  appear  ;  St.  Garge,  St.  Garge, 
walk  in,  my  only  son  and  heir  ! '  " 

"  Yes,  but  you  mustn't  say  '  >^eir ' ;  the  h  isn't 
sounded,  you  know.  Has  anybody  seen  Ned  Bas- 
kerville ?      I  heard  that  he  was  in  trouble." 

"  Not  at  all,"  said  Nathan.  "  He's  all  right  —  a  lazy 
rascal.  'Twas  only  another  of  his  silly  bits  of  work 
with  the  girls.  Running  after  Mr.  Chave's  daughter. 
Like  his  cheek  !  " 

Mr.  Masterman  looked  astonished. 

"  I  thought  Mr.  Chave "  he  said. 

"  Exactly,  vicar ;  you  thought  right.  'Tis  just  his 
handsome  face  makes  my  nephew  so  pushing.  We  be 
a  yeoman  race,  we  Baskervilles,  though  said  to  be 
higher  once  ;  but  of  course,  as  things  are,  Ned  looking 
there  was  just  infernal  impudence,  though  his  good  old 
pig-headed  father,  my  brother,  couldn't  see  it.  He's 
only  blind  when  Ned's  the  matter." 

"  'Twas  said  he  was  going  to  jump  in  the  river," 
declared  the  ancient  Abel. 

"  Nonsense  and  rubbish  !  "  declared  Nathan.  "Ned's 
not  that  sort.  Wait  till  he  sees  himself  in  the  glitter- 
ing armour  of  St.  George,  and  he'll  soon  forget  his 
troubles." 

"  We  must  talk  about  the  dresses  after  rehearsal. 
A  good  many  can  be  made  at  home." 

"  Be  you  going  to  charge  at  the  doors  ?  "  asked  Mr. 
Gollop.     "  I  don't  see  why  for  we  shouldn't." 

"  Yes,  certainly    I    am,"   answered   Dennis.     "  The 


no  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

money  will  go  to  rehanging  the  bells.  That's  settled. 
Well,  remember.  And  stir  up  Joe  Voysey,  Thomas. 
You  can  do  anything  with  him,  but  I  can't.  Remind 
him  about  the  French  Eagle.  He's  only  got  to  learn 
six  lines,  but  he  says  it  makes  his  head  ache  so  badly 
that  he's  sure  he'll  never  do  it," 

"  I'll  try  and  fire  the  man's  pride,"  declared  Mr. 
GoUop.  "  Joe's  not  a  day  over  sixty-eight,  and  he's 
got  a  very  fair  share  of  intellect.  He  shall  learn  it,  if 
I've  got  to  teach  him." 

"  That's  right.     Now  I  must  be  off." 

When  the  vicar  was  gone  Gollop  reviewed  the  situa- 
tion created  by  young  Masterman's  energy  and  tact. 

"  I  never  could  have  foreseen  it,  yet  the  people 
somehow  make  shift  to  do  with  him.  It  don't  say 
much  for  him,  but  it  says  a  lot  for  us  —  for  our  sense 
and  patience.  We'm  always  ready  to  lend  the  man  a 
hand  in  reason,  and  I  wish  he  was  more  grateful ;  but 
I  shouldn't  call  him  a  grateful  man.  Of  course,  this 
here  play-acting  will  draw  the  eyes  of  the  country  on 
us,  and  he'll  get  the  credit,  no  doubt ;  yet  'twill  be  us 
two  men  here  in  this  bar  —  me  and  you,  Nathan  —  as 
will  make  or  mar  all." 

"  Tm  very  glad  to  help  him.  He's  a  good  chap, 
and  my  sort.  Lots  of  fun  in  the  man  when  you  know 
him." 

"  Can't  say  I  look  at  him  like  that.  He's  not 
enough  beholden  to  the  past,  in  my  opinion.  How- 
ever, I  believe  he's  woke  up  a  bit  to  who  I  am  and 
what  my  sister  is,"  answered  Gollop. 

"  Not  your  fault  if  he  hasn't." 

"And  another  thing — he  don't  take  himself  seri- 
ously enough,"  continued  the  parish  clerk.  "  As  a 
man  I  grant  you  he  has  got  nought  to  take  seriously. 
He's  young,  and  he's  riddled  with  evil,  modern  ideas 
that  would  land  the  country  in  ruin  if  followed.     But, 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  m 

apart  from  that,  as  a  minister  he  ought  to  be  different. 
I  hate  to  see  him  running  after  the  ball  at  cricket,  like 
a  school-child.  'Tisn't  decent,  and  it  lessens  the  force 
of  the  man  in  the  pulpit  come  Sunday,  just  as  it  les- 
sened the  force  of  physician  Dawe  to  Tavistock  when 
he  took  to  singing  comic  songs  at  the  penny  readings. 
Why,  'twas  money  out  of  the  doctor's  pocket,  as  he 
lived  to  find  out,  too  late.  When  Old  Master  Tre- 
lawny  lay  dying,  and  they  axed  un  to  let  Dawe  have 
a  slap  at  un,  he  wouldn't  do  it.  '  Be  that  the  man  that 
sang  the  song  about  locking  his  mother-in-law  into  the 
coal-cellar?'  he  axed.  *  The  same,'  said  they;  *  but 
he's  a  terrible  clever  chap  at  the  stomach,  and  may  save 
you  yet  if  there  be  enough  of  your  organs  left  for  him 
to  work  upon.'  '  No,  no,'  says  old  Trelawny.  *  Such 
a  light-minded  feller  as  that  couldn't  be  trusted  with 
a  dying  man's  belly.'  I  don't  say  'twas  altogether 
reasonable,  because  the  wisest  must  unbend  the  bow 
now  and  again ;  but  I  will  maintain  that  that  minister 
of  the  Lord  didn't  ought  to  take  off  his  coat  and  get 
in  a  common  sweat  afore  the  people  assembled  at  a 
cricket  match.  'Tis  worse  than  David  making  a  circus 
of  himself  afore  the  holy  ark ;  and  if  he  does  so,  he 
must  take  the  consequences." 

"The  consequences  be  that  everybody  will  think  a 
lot  better  of  him,  as  a  manly  and  sensible  chap,  wishful 
to  help  the  young  men,"  declared  Mr.  Baskerville. 
"  One  thing  I  can  bear  witness  to  :  I  don't  get  the 
Saturday  custom  I  used  to  get,  and  that's  to  the  good, 
anyway."  Then  he  looked  at  his  watch  and  changed 
the  subject. 

"  Mrs.  Lintern's  daughter  is  paying  a  sort  of  solemn 
visit  to  my  brother  to-day,  and  they  are  all  a  little 
nervous  about  it." 

"  He'll  terrify  her  out  of  her  wits,"  said  Mr.  GoUop. 
"  He  takes  a  dark  delight  in  scaring  the  young  people." 


112  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

"  'Tisn't  that,  'tis  his  manner.  He  don't  mean  to 
hurt  'em.  A  difficult  man,  however,  as  I  know  only 
too  well." 

"  If  he  can't  get  on  with  you,  there's  a  screw  loose 
in  him,"  remarked  the  old  man,  sitting  on  the  settle. 

"  I  won't  say  that,  Abel ;  but  I  don't  know  why  'tis 
that  he's  got  no  use  for  me." 

"  No  loss,  however,"  asserted  Thomas.  "  A  cranky 
and  heartless  creature.  The  likes  of  him  couldn't 
neighbour  with  the  likes  of  us  —  not  enough  human 
kindness  in  him." 

"  Like  our  father  afore  him,  and  yet  harder,"  ex- 
plained the  publican.  "  I  can  see  my  parent  now  — 
dark  and  grim,  and  awful  old  to  my  young  eyes.  Well 
I  remember  the  first  time  I  felt  the  sting  of  him.  A 
terrible  small  boy  I  was  —  hadn't  cast  my  short  frocks, 
I  believe  —  but  I'd  sinned  in  some  little  matter,  and 
he  give  me  my  first  flogging.  And  the  picture  I've 
got  of  father  be  a  man  with  a  hard,  set  face,  with  a  bit 
of  a  grim  smile  on  it,  and  his  right  hand  hidden  behind 
him.  But  I  knowed  what  was  in  it !  A  great  believer 
in  the  rod.  He  beat  us  often  —  all  three  of  us  —  till 
we'd  wriggle  and  twine  like  a  worm  on  a  hook ;  but 
our  uncle,  the  musicker,  he  was  as  different  as  you 
please  —  soft  and  gentle,  like  my  nephew  Mark,  and 
all  for  spoiling  childer  with  sweeties  and  toys." 

Mr.  GoUop  rose  to  depart,  and  others  entered.  Then 
Nathan  called  a  pot-man  and  left  the  bar. 

"I  promised  Mrs.  Lintern  as  I'd  go  down  to  hear 
what  Cora  had  to  say,"  he  explained.  "I'm  very  hope- 
ful that  she's  had  the  art  to  win  Humphrey,  for  'twill 
smooth  the  future  a  good  bit  for  the  people  at  Under- 
shaugh  if  my  brother  takes  to  the  wench.  You'd 
think  nobody  could  help  it  —  such  a  lovely  face  as  she 
has.  However,  we  shall  know  how  it  fell  out  inside 
an  hour  or  so." 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  113 

Meanwhile  Cora,  clad  In  her  new  muslin,  had  faced 
Humphrey  Baskerville,  and  faced  him  alone.  For  her 
future  father-in-law  expressly  wished  this,  and  Mark 
was  from  home  on  the  occasion  of  his  sweetheart's 
visit.  Cora  arrived  twenty  minutes  before  dinner, 
and  watched  Susan  Hacker  dish  it  up.  She  had  even 
offered  to  assist,  but  Susan  would  not  permit  it. 

"Better  you  go  into  the  parlour  and  keep  cool,  my 
dear,"  she  said.  "  You'll  need  to  be.  Master's  not 
in  the  best  of  tempers  to-day.  And  your  young  man 
left  a  message.  He  be  gone  to  Plympton,  and  will  be 
back  by  four  o'clock  ;  so,  when  you  take  your  leave, 
you  are  to  go  down  the  Rut  and  meet  him  at  Torry 
Brook  stepping-stones,  if  you  please." 

"  Where's  Mr.  Baskerville  ?  " 

"  Taking  the  air  up  'pon  top  the  tor.  He  bides 
there  most  mornings  till  the  dinner  hour,  and  he'd 
forget  his  meal  altogether  so  often  as  not,  but  I  go  to 
the  hedge  and  ring  the  dinner  bell.  Then  he  comes 
down." 

"  How  can  I  best  please  him,  Susan? " 

"  By  listening  first,  and  by  talking  afterwards.  He 
don't  like  a  chatterbox,  but  he  don't  like  young  folk 
to  be  too  silent  neither.  'Twill  be  a  hugeous  heave- 
up  of  luck  if  you  can  get  on  his  blind  side.  Few  can 
—  I  warn  you  of  that.  He's  very  fond  of  natural, 
wild  things.  If  you  was  to  talk  about  the  flowers  and 
show  him  you  be  fond  of  nature,  it  might  be  well. 
However,  do  as  you  will,  he'll  find  out  the  truth  of  'e." 

"  I'm  all  of  a  tremor.  I  wish  you  hadn't  told  me 
that." 

"  Mark  might  have  told  you.  Still,  for  your  com- 
fort it  may  be  said  you're  built  the  right  way.  You'll 
be  near  so  full-blown  as  I  be,  come  you  pass  fifty. 
He  hates   the  pinikin,^  pin-tailed  sort.      Be  cheerful, 

1  Piniiin  —  delicate. 


114  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

eat  hearty,  don't  leave  nothing  on  your  plate,  and  wait 
for  him  to  say  grace  afore  and  after  meat.  The  rest 
must  fall  out  according  to  your  own  sense  and  wit. 
Now  I   be  going  to  ring  the  bell." 

"  I  half  thought  that  he  might  come  part  of  the  way 
to  meet  me." 

"  You  thought  wrong,  then.  He  don't  do  that  sort 
of  thing." 

"  I  wish  Mark  was  here,  Susan." 

"  So  does  Mark.  But  master  has  his  own  way  of 
doing  things,  and  'tis  generally  the  last  way  that  other 
people  would  use." 

Mrs.  Hacker  rang  the  bell,  and  the  thin,  black  figure 
of  Humphrey  Baskerville  appeared  and  began  to  creep 
down  the  side  of  the  hill.  He  had,  of  course,  met 
Cora  on  previous  occasions,  but  this  was  the  first  time 
that  he  had  spoken  with  the  girl  since  her  betrothal. 

He  shook  hands  and  hoped  that  her  mother  was  well. 

*'  A  harvest  to  make  up  for  last  year,"  he  said.  "  You 
ought  to  be  lending  a  hand  by  rights." 

"  I  don't  think  Mr.  Baskerville  would  like  for  Polly 
and  me  to  do  that.     'Tis  too  hot,"  she  said. 

"  Nathan  wouldn't?  Surely  he  would.  Many  hands 
make  light  work  and  save  the  time.  You're  a  strong 
girl,  aren't  you  ?  " 

"  Strong  as  a  pony,  sir." 

"  Don't  call  me  *  sir.'  And  you're  fond  of  wild 
nature  and  the  country  —  so   Mark  tells  me." 

"  That  I  am,  and  the  wild  flowers." 

"  Why  didn't  you  wear  a  bunch  of  'em  then  ?  Better 
them  than  that  davered  ^  rose  stuck  in  your  belt.  Gold 
by  the  look  of  it  —  the  belt  I  mean." 

She  laughed. 

"  I'll  let  you  into  the  secret,"  she  said.  "  I  wanted 
to  be  smart  to-day,  and  so  I  took  one  of  my  treasures. 

1  J^wvered  —  withered. 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  115 

You'll  never  guess  where  this  gold  belt  came  from, 
Mr,  Baskerville  ? " 

"  Don't  like  it,  anyway,"  he  answered. 

"  Why,  'twas  the  hat-band  round  my  grandfather's 
hat!  He  was  a  beadle  up  to  some  place  nigh  London; 
and  'twas  an  heirloom  when  he  died  ;  and  mother 
gived  it  to  me,  and  here  it  is." 

He  regarded  the  relic  curiously. 

"  A  funny  world,  to  be  sure,"  he  said.  "  Little  did 
that  bygone  man  think  of  such  a  thing  when  he  put 
his  braided  hat  on  his  head,  Lll  warrant." 

He  relapsed  into  a  long  silence,  and  Cora's  remarks 
were  rewarded  with  no  more  than  nods  of  affirmation 
or  negation.  Then,  suddenly,  he  broke  out  on  the 
subject  of  apparel  long  after  she  thought  that  he  had 
forgotten  it. 

"  Terrible  tearing  fine  I  suppose  you  think  your 
clothes  are,  young  woman  —  terrible  tearing  fine  ;  but 
I  hate  'em,  and  they  ill  become  a  poor  man's  wife  and 
a  poor  man's  daughter.  My  mother  wore  her  hair 
frapped  back  light  and  plain,  with  a  forehead  cloth, 
and  a  little  blue  baize  rochet  over  her  breast,  and  a 
blue  apron  and  short  gown  and  hob-nailed  shoon ; 
and  she  looked  ten  thousand  times  finer  than  ever 
you  looked  in  your  life  —  or  ever  can  in  that  piebald 
flimsy,  with  those  Godless  smashed  birds  on  your 
head.  What  care  you  for  nature  to  put  a  bit  of  a 
dead  creature  'pon  top  of  your  hair ,?  A  nasty  fash- 
ion, and  I'm  sorry  you  follow  it." 

She  kept  her  temper  well  under  this  terrific  onslaught. 

"  We  must  follow  the  fashion,  Mr.  Baskerville. 
But  I'll  not  wear  this  hat  again  afore  you,  since  you 
don't  like  it." 

"  Going  to  be  married  and  live  up  to  your  knees  in 
clover,  eh  ?  So  you  both  think.  Now  tell  me  what 
you  feel  like  to  my  son,  please." 


ii6  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

"  I  love  him  dearly,  I'm  sure,  and  I  think  he's  a 
very  clever  chap,  and  quite  the  gentleman  in  all  his 
ways.  Though  he  might  dress  a  bit  smarter,  and  not 
be  so  friendly  with  the  other  bellringers.  Because  they 
are  commoner  men  than  him,  of  course." 

"*  Quite  the  gentleman'  —  eh?  What's  a  gentle- 
man  r 

"  Oh,  dear,  Mr.  Baskerville,  you'll  spoil  my  dinner 
with  such  a  lot  of  questions.  To  be  a  gentleman  is  to 
be  like  Mark,  I  suppose  —  kind  and  quick  to  see  what 
a  girl  wants ;  and  to  be  handsome  and  be  well  thought 
of  by  everybody,  and  all  the  rest  of  it." 

"You  go  a  bit  too  high  at  instep,"  he  said.  "  You're 
too  vain  of  your  pretty  face,  and  you  answer  rather 
pertly.  You  don't  know  what  a  gentleman  is,  for  all 
you  think  yourself  a  fine  lady.  And  I'll  tell  you  this  : 
very  few  people  do  know  what  a  gentleman  is.  You 
can  tell  a  lot  about  people  by  hearing  them  answer 
when  you  ask  them  what  a  gentleman  is.  Where 
would  you  like  to  live  ?  " 

"  Where  'twould  please  Mark  best.  And  if  the 
things  I  say  offend  you,  I'm  sorry  for  it.  You  must 
make  allowances,  Mr.  Baskerville.  I'm  young,  and 
I've  not  got  much  sense  yet ;  but  I  want  to  please 
you  —  I  want  to  please  everybody,  for  that  matter." 

This  last  remark  much  interested  her  listener.  He 
started  and  looked  at  the  girl  fixedly.  Then  his  ex- 
pression changed,  and  he  appeared  to  stare  through 
her  at  somebody  or  something  beyond.  Behind  Cora 
the  old  man  did,  indeed,  see  another  very  clearly  in 
his  mind's  eye. 

After  a  painful  silence  she  spoke  again,  and  her  tone 
was  troubled. 

"  I  want  to  say  the  thing  that  will  please  you,  if  I 
can.  But  I  must  be  myself.  I'm  sorry  if  you  don't 
like  me." 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  117 

"You  must  be  yourself,  and  so  must  I,"  he  an- 
swered ;  "  and  if  I'm  not  liking  you,  you're  loathing 
me.  But  we're  getting  through  our  dinner  very  nicely. 
Will  you  have  any  more  of  this  cherry  tart  ?  " 

"  No,  I've  done  well." 

"  You've  eaten  nought  to  name.  I've  spoiled  your 
appetite,  and  you  —  well,  you've  done  more  than  you 
think,  and  taught  me  more  than  you  know  yourself" 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders. 

"  Mark  says  puzzling  things  like  that  sometimes." 

There  was  another  silence. 

"  You  ride  a  pony,  don't  you  ?  "  he  asked  presently  ; 
and  the  girl  brightened  up.  Mr.  Baskerville  possessed 
some  of  the  best  ponies  on  Dartmoor,  and  sold  a  noted 
strain  of  his  own  raising. 

"  He's  going  to  make  it  up  with  a  pony  !  "  thought 
sanguine  Cora. 

"  I  do.     I'm  very  fond  of  riding." 

"  Like  it  better  than  walking,  I  dare  say  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  do." 

"And  you'd  like  driving  better  still,  perhaps?  " 

"  No,  I  wouldn't." 

"  What  are  the  strangles  ?  "  he  asked  suddenly  and 
grimly. 

"  It's  something  the  ponies  get  the  matter  with  them." 

"Of  course;  but  what  is  it?  How  does  it  come, 
and  why  ?     Is  it  infectious  ?      Is  it  ever  fatal  to  them  ?  " 

She  shook  her  head. 

"  I  don't  know  nothing  about  things  like  that." 

"  No  use  having  a  pony  if  you  don't  understand  it. 
The  strangles  are  infectious  and  sometimes  fatal.  Don't 
forget  that." 

Cora  felt  her  temper  struggHng  to  break  loose.  She 
poured  out  a  glass  of  water. 

"  I  promise  not  to  forget  it,"  she  answered.  "  Shall 
I  put  the  cheese  on  the  table  for  you  ?  " 


ii8  THE    THREE    BROTHERS 

"No,  I  thank  you  —  unless  you'll  eat  some." 

"  Nothing  more,  I'm  sure." 

"  We'll  walk  out  in  the  air,  then.  With  your  love 
of  nature,  you'll  like  the  growing  things  up  on  top  of 
my  hill.  Mark  will  be  back  for  tea,  I  think.  But 
maybe  you'll  not  stop  quite  so  long  as  that." 

"  I'll  stop  just  as  long  as  you  like,"  she  said.  "  But 
I  don't  want  to  tire  you." 

"You've  got  your  mother's  patience,  and  plenty  of 
it,  I  see.  That's  a  good  mark  for  you.  Patience  goes 
a  long  way.  You  can  keep  your  temper,  too  —  well 
for  you  that  you  can.  Though  whether  'tis  nature  or 
art  in  you " 

He  broke  off  and  she  followed  him  out  of 
doors. 

Upon  the  tor  he  asked  her  many  things  concerning 
the  clouds  above  them,  the  cries  of  the  birds,  and  the 
names  of  the  flowers.  The  ordeal  proved  terrible,  be- 
cause her  ignorance  of  these  matters  was  almost  abso- 
lute. At  last,  unable  to  endure  more,  she  fled  from 
him,  pleaded  a  sudden  recollection  of  an  engagement 
for  the  afternoon,  and  hastened  homeward  as  fast  as 
she  could  walk.  Once  out  of  sight  of  the  old  man 
she  slowed  down,  and  her  wrongs  and  affronts  crowded 
upon  her  and  made  her  bosom  pant.  She  clenched 
her  hands  and  bit  her  handkerchief  She  desired  to 
weep,  but  intended  that  others  should  see  her  tears. 
Therefore  she  controlled  them  until  she  reached  home, 
and  then  she  cried  copiously  in  the  presence  of  her 
mother,  her  sister,  and  Nathan  Baskerville,  who  had 
come  to  learn  of  her  success. 

The  directions  of  Mark,  to  meet  him  at  Torry  step- 
ping-stones, Cora  had  entirely  forgotten.  Nor  would 
she  have  kept  the  appointment  had  she  remembered 
it.  In  her  storm  of  passion  she  hated  even  Mark  for 
being  his  father's  son. 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  119 

Nathan  was  indignant  at  the  recital,  and  Mrs.  Lin- 
tern  showed  sorrow,  but  not  surprise. 

"  'Twas  bound  to  be  difficuh,"  she  said.  "  He  sent 
Mark  away,  you  see.  He  meant  to  get  to  the  bottom 
of  her." 

"A  very  wanton,  unmanly  thing,"  declared  Nathan. 
"I'm  ashamed  of  him." 

"  Don't  you  take  it  too  much  to  heart,"  answered 
the  mother.  "  Maybe  he  thought  better  of  Cora  than 
he  seemed  to  do.  He's  always  harsh  and  hard  like 
that  to  young  people  ;  but  it  means  nought.  I  believe 
that  Cora's  a  bit  frightened,  that's  all." 

"We  must  see  him,"  said  Nathan.  "At  least,  I 
must.      I  make  this  my  affair." 

"  'Twill  be  better  for  me  to  do  so." 

"  I  tried  that  hard  to  please  the  man,"  sobbed  Cora  ; 
"  but  he  looked  me  through  —  tore  me  to  pieces  with 
his  eyes  like  a  savage  dog.  Nothing  was  right  from  my 
head  to  my  heels.  Flouted  my  clothes  —  flouted  my 
talk  —  was  angered,  seemingly,  because  I  couldn't  tell 
him  how  to  cure  a  pony  of  strangles  —  wanted  me  to 
tell  the  name  of  every  bird  on  the  bough,  and  weed  in 
the  gutter.  And  not  a  spark  of  hope  or  kindness  from 
first  to  last.  •  He  did  say  that  I'd  got  my  mother's 
patience,  and  that's  the  only  pat  on  the  back  he  gave 
me.  Patient !  I  could  have  sclowed  his  ugly  face 
down  with  my  nails  !  " 

Her  mother  stroked  her  shoulder. 

"  Hush  !  "  she  said.  "  Don't  take  on  about  it.  We 
shall  hear  what  Mark  has  got  to  tell." 

"  I  don't  care  what  he's  got  to  tell.  I'm  not  going 
to  be  scared  out  of  my  life,  and  bullied  and  trampled 
on  by  that  old  beast !  " 

"  No  more  you  shall  be,"  cried  Nathan.  "  He'll 
say  'tis  no  business  of  mine,  but  everything  to  do 
with    Undershaugh    is    my    business.      I'll    see    him. 


I20  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

He's  always  hard  on  me ;  now  I'll  be  hard  on  him  and 
learn  him  how  to  treat  a  woman." 

"  Don't  go  in  heat,"  urged  Mrs.  Lintern  after  Cora 
had  departed  with  the  sympathetic  Phyllis.  "  There's ' 
another  side,  you  know.  Cora's  not  his  sort.  No 
doubt  her  fine  clothes — she  would  go  in  'em,  though 
I  advised  her  not  —  no  doubt  they  made  him  cranky ; 
and  then  things  went  from  bad  to  worse." 

"  'Tis  not  a  bit  of  use  talking  to  me,  Hester.  I'm 
angered,  and  naturally  angered.  In  a  way  this  was 
meant  to  anger  me,  I'm  afraid.  He  well  knows  how 
much  you  all  at  Undershaugh  are  to  me.  'Twas  to 
make  me  feel  small,  as  much  as  anything,  that  he 
snubbed  her  so  cruel.  No  —  I'll  not  hear  you  on 
the  subject — not  now.      I'll  see  him  to-day." 

"  I  shouldn't  —  wiser  far  to  wait  till  you  are  cool. 
He'll  be  more  reasonable  too,  to-morrow,  when  he's 
forgotten  a  little." 

"  What  is  there  to  forget  ?  The  prettiest  and 
cleverest  girl  in  Shaugh  —  or  in  the  county,  for  that 
matter.     Don't  stop  me.      I'm  going  this  instant." 

"  It's  dangerous,  Nat.  He'll  only  tell  you  to  mind 
your  own  business." 

"  No,  he  won't.  Even  he  can't  tax  me  with  not 
doing  that.  Everything  is  my  business,  if  I  choose 
to  make  it  so.  Anyway,  all  at  Undershaugh  are  my 
business." 

He  left  her  ;  but  by  the  time  he  arrived  at  Beatland 
Corner,  on  the  way  to  Hawk  House,  Nathan  Basker- 
ville  had  changed  his  mind.  Another  aspect  of  the 
case  suddenly  presented  itself  to  him,  and,  as  he  grew 
calmer,  he  decided  to  keep  out  of  this  quarrel,  though 
natural  instincts  drew  him  into  it. 

A  few  moments  later,  as  thought  progressed  with 
him,  he  found  himself  wishing  that  Humphrey  would 
die.     But  the  desire  neither  surprised  nor  shocked  him. 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  121 

for  he  had  often  wished  it  before.  Humphrey's  life 
was  of  no  apparent  service  to  Humphrey,  while  to 
certain  other  people  it  could  only  be  regarded  in  the 
light  of  a  hindrance. 


CHAPTER   XI 

SOME  days  later  Mark  Baskervllle  spoke  with 
Mrs.  Lintern,  and  she  was  reheved  to  find  that 
Cora's  fears  had  been  exaggerated. 

"  He  said  very  Httle  indeed  about  her,  except  that 
he  didn't  like  her  clothes  and  that  she  had  a  poor 
appetite,"  explained  Mark.  "  Of  course,  I  asked  him 
a  thousand  questions,  but  he  wouldn't  answer  them. 
I  don't  think  he  knows  in  the  least  how  he  flustered 
Cora.  He  said  one  queer  thing  that  I  couldn't  see 
sense  in,  though  perhaps  you  may.  He  said,  *  She's 
told  me  more  about  herself  than  she  knows  her- 
self—  and  more  than  I'll  tell  again  —  even  to  you, 
though  some  might  think  it  a  reason  against  her.' 
Whatever  did  he  mean  by  that  ?  But  it  don't  much 
matter,  anyway,  and  my.  Cora's  quite  wrong  to  think 
she  was  a  failure  or  anything  of  that  kind.  He  asked 
only  this  morning,  as  natural  as  possible,  when  she  was 
coming  over  again." 

These  statements  satisfied  the  girl's  mother,  but 
they  failed  to  calm  Cora  herself  She  took  the  matter 
much  to  heart,  caused  her  lover  many  unquiet  and 
anxious  hours,  and  refused  point-blank  for  the  present 
to  see  Mr.  Baskerville. 

Then  fell  the  great  first  rehearsal  of  the  Christmas 
play,  and  Dennis  Masterman  found  that  he  had  been 
wise  to  take  time  by  the  forelock  in  this  matter.  The 
mummers  assembled  in  the  parish  room,  and  the  vicar 
and  his  sister,  with  Nathan  Baskerville's  assistance, 
strove  to  lead  them  through  the  drama. 

"  It's  not  going  to  be  quite  like  the  version  that  a 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  123 

kind  friend  has  sent  me,  and  from  which  your  parts 
are  written,"  explained  Dennis.  "  I've  arranged  for 
an  introduction  in  the  shape  of  a  prologue.  I  shall  do 
this  myself,  and  appear  before  the  curtain  and  speak  a 
speech  to  explain  what  it  is  all  about.  This  answers 
Mr.  Waite  here,  who  is  going  to  be  the  Turkish 
Knight.  He  didn't  want  to  begin  the  piece.  Now  I 
shall  have  broken  the  ice,  and  then  he  will  be  dis- 
covered as  the  curtain  rises." 

Mr.  Timothy  Waite  on  this  occasion,  however, 
began  proceedings,  as  the  vicar's  prologue  was  not  yet 
written.  He  proved  letter-perfect  but  exceedingly 
nervous. 

**  Open  your  doors  and  let  me  in, 
I  hope  your  favours  I  shall  win. 
Whether  I  rise  or  whether  I  fall, 
I'll  do  my  best  to  please  you  all! " 

Mr.  Waite  spoke  jerkily,  and  his  voice  proved  a 
little  out  of  control,  but  everybody  congratulated  him. 

"  How  he  rolls  his  eyes  to  be  sure,"  said  Vivian 
Baskerville.     "  A  very  daps  of  a  Turk,  for  sartain." 

"  You  ought  to  stride  about  more,  Waite,"  suggested 
Ned  Baskerville,  who  had  cheered  up  of  recent  days, 
and  was  now  standing  beside  Cora  and  other  girls 
destined  to  assist  the  play.  "  The  great  thing  is  to 
stride  about  and  look  alive  —  isn't  it,  Mr.  Master- 
man  r 

"  We'll  talk  afterwards,"  answered  Dennis.  "  We 
mustn't  interfere  with  the  action.  You  have  got  your 
speech  off  very  well,  Waite,  but  you  said  it  much  too 
fast.  We  must  be  slow  and  distinct,  so  that  not  a 
word   is   missed." 

Timothy,  who  enjoyed  the  praise  of  his  friends, 
liked  this  censure  less. 

"  As  for  speaking  fast,"  he  said,  "  the  man  would 


124  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

speak  fast.  Because  he  expects  St.  George  will  be  on 
his  tail  in  a  minute.  He  says,  *  I  know  he'll  pierce 
my  skin.'  In  fact,  he's  pretty  well  sweating  with 
terror  from  'the  first  moment  he  comes  on  the  stage, 
I  should  reckon." 

But  Mr.  Masterman  was  unprepared  for  any  such 
subtle  rendering  of  the  Turkish  Knight,  and  he  only 
hoped  that  the  more  ancient  play-actors  would  not 
come  armed  with  equally  obstinate  opinions. 

"  We'll  talk  about  it  afterwards,"  he  said.  "  Now 
you  go  off  to  the  right,  Waite,  and  Father  Christmas 
comes  on  at  the  left.  Mr.  Baskerville — Father 
Christmas,  please." 

Nathan  put  his  part  into  his  pocket,  marched  on  to 
the  imaginary  stage  and  bowed.      Everybody  cheered. 

"  You  needn't  bow,"  explained  Dennis ;  but  the 
innkeeper  differed  from  him. 

"  Fm  afraid  I  must,  your  reverence.  When  I 
appear  before  them,  the  people  will  give  me  a  lot  of 
applause  in  their  usual  kindly  fashion.  Why,  even 
these  here — just  t'other  actors  do,  you  see  —  so  you 
may  be  sure  that  the  countryside  will.  Therefore  I 
had  better  practise  the  bow  at  rehearsal,  if  you've  no 
great  argument  against  it." 

"  All  right,  push  on,"  said  Dennis. 

"  We  must  really  be  quicker,"  declared  Miss 
Masterman.  "  Half  an  hour  has  gone,  and  we've 
hardly    started." 

"Off  I  go  then;  and  I  want  you  chaps  —  espe- 
cially you,  Vivian,  and  you.  Jack  Head,  and  you,  Tom 
GoUop  —  to  watch  me  acting.  Acting  ban't  the  same 
as  ordinary  talking.  If  I  was  just  talking,  I  should 
say  all  quiet,  without  flinging  my  arms  about,  and 
walking  round,  and  stopping,  and  then  away  again. 
But  in  acting  you  do  all  these  things,  and  instead  of 
merely  saying  your  speeches,  as  we  would,  just  man  to 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  125 

man,  over  my  bar  or  in  the  street,  you  have  to  bawl 
'em  out  so  that  every  soul  in  the  audience  catches  'em." 
Having  thus  explained  his  theory  of  histrionics  Mr. 
Baskerville  started,  and  with  immense  and  original  em- 
phasis, and  sudden  actions  and  gestures,  introduced 
himself. 

*'  Here  come  I,  the  dear  old  Father  Christmas. 

Welcome  or  welcome  not, 
I  hope  old  Father  Christmas 

Will  never  be  forgot. 
A  room  —  make  room  here,  gallant  boys. 
And  give  us  room  to  rhyme " 

Nathan  broke  off  to  explain  his  reading  of  the  part. 

"When  I  say  'make  room'  I  fly  all  round  the 
stage,  as  if  I  was  pushing  the  people  back  to  give 
me  room." 

He  finished  his  speech,  and  panted  and  mopped  his 
head. 

"  That's  acting,  and  what  d'you  think  of  it  ^ "  he 
asked. 

They  all  applauded  vigorously  excepting  Mr. 
Gollop,    who    now    prepared    to    take    his    part. 

Nathan  then  left  the  stage  and  the  vicar  called  him 
back. 

"  You  don't  go  off,"  he  explained.  "  You  stop  to 
welcome  the  King  of  Egypt." 

"  Beg  pardon,"  answered  the  innkeeper.  "  But  of 
course,  so  it  is.     I'll  take  my  stand  here." 

"  You  bow  to  the  King  of  Egypt  when  he  comes 
on,"  declared  Gollop.  "  He  humbly  bows  to  me, 
don't  he,  reverend  Masterman  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Dennis,  "  he  bows,  of  course.  You'll 
have  a  train  carried  by  two  boys,  Gollop;  but  the  boys 
aren't  here  to-night,  as  they're  both  down  with  measles 
—  Mrs.  Bassett's  youngsters." 


126  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

"  I'll  bow  to  you  if  you  bow  to  me,  Tom,"  said  Mr. 
Baskerville.     "  That's  only  right." 

"  Kings  don't  bow  to  common  people,"  declared 
the  parish  clerk.  "Me  and  my  pretended  darter  — 
that's  Miss  Cora  Lintern,  who's  the  Princess  —  ban't 
going  to  bow,  I  should  hope." 

"  You  ought  to,  then,"  declared  Jack  Head.  "  No 
reason  because  you'm  King  of  Egypt  why  you  should 
think  yourself  better  than  other  folk.  Make  him  bow, 
Nathan.  Don't  you  bow  to  him  if  he  don't  bow  to 
you. 

"  Kings  do  bow,"  declared  Dennis.  "  You  must  bow 
to  Father  Christmas,  Gollop." 

"He  must  bow  first,  then,"  argued  the  parish  clerk. 

"  Damn  the  man  !  turn  him  out  and  let  somebody 
else  do  it!"   cried  Head. 

"  Let  neither  of  'em  bow,"  suggested  Mrs.  Hacker 
suddenly.  "  With  all  this  here  bowing  and  scraping, 
us  shan't  be  done  afore  midnight;  and  I  don't  come  in 
the  play  till  the  end  of  all  things  as  'tis." 

"You'd  better  decide,  your  reverence,"  suggested 
Vivian.  "  Your  word's  law.  I  say  let  'em  bow  simul- 
taneous—  how  would  that  serve  ?  " 

"Excellent!"  declared  Dennis.  "You'll  bow  to- 
gether, please.     Now,  Mr,  Gollop." 

Thomas  marched  on  with  an  amazing  gait,  designed 
to  be  regal. 

"  They'll  all  laugh  if  you  do  it  hke  that,  Tom," 
complained  Mr.  Voysey. 

"  Beggar  the  man  !  And  why  for  shouldn't  they 
laugh  ?  "  asked  Jack  Head.  "  Thomas  don't  want  to 
make  'em  cry,  do  he  ?  Ban't  we  all  to  be  as  funny  as 
ever  we  can,  reverend  Masterman  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Dennis.  "In  reason  —  in  reason.  Jack. 
But  acting  is  one  thing,  and  playing  the  fool  is  another." 

"  Oh,  Lord  !  I  thought  they  was  the  same,"  declared 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  127 

Vivian  Baskerville.  "  Because  if  I've  got  to  act  the 
giant " 

"  Order  !  order  !  "  cried  the  clergyman.  "  We  must 
get  on.  Don't  be  annoyed,  Mr.  Baskerville,  I  quite 
see  your  point ;  but  it  will  all  come  right  at  rehearsal." 

"  You'll  have  to  tell  me  how  to  act  then,"  said 
Vivian.  "  How  the  mischief  can  a  man  pretend  to  be 
what  he  isn't?     A  giant " 

"  You're  as  near  being  a  live  giant  as  you  can  be," 
declared  Nathan.  "  You've  only  got  to  be  yourself 
and  you'll  be  all  right." 

"  No,"  argued  Jack  Head.  "  If  the  man's  himself, 
he's  not  funny,  and  nobody  will  laugh.      I  say " 

"You  can  show  us  what  you  mean  when  you  come 
to  your  own  part.  Jack,"  said  Dennis  desperately. 
"  Do  get  on,  Gollop." 

"  Bow  then,"  said  Mr.  Gollop  to  Nathan. 

"  I'll  bow  when  you  do,  and  not  a  minute  sooner," 
answered  the  innkeeper  firmly. 

The  matter  of  the  bow  was  arranged,  and  Mr.  Gollop, 
in  the  familiar  voice  with  which  he  had  led  the  psalms 
for  a  quarter  of  a  century,  began  his  part. 

**  Here  I,  the  King  of  Egypt,  boldly  do  appear, 

St.  Garge  !  St.  Garge  !   walk  in,  my  only  son  and  heir; 
Walk  in,  St.  Garge,  my  son,  and  boldly  act  thy  part. 
That  all  the  people  here  may  see  thy  wondrous  art !  " 

"  Well  done,  Tom  !  "  said  Mr.  Masterman,  "  that's 
splendid  ;  but  you  mustn't  sing  it." 

"  I  ban't  singing  it,"  answered  the  clerk.  "  I  know 
what  to  do." 

"  All  right.  Now  St.  George,  St.  George,  where  are 
you  r 

"  Along  with  the  girls  as  usual,"  snapped  Mr.  Gollop. 

As  a  matter  of  fact  Ned  Baskerville  was  engaged  in 
deep  conversation  with  Princess  Sabra  and  the  Turkish 
Knight.     He  left  them  and  hurried  forward. 


128  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

"  Give  tongue,  Ned  !  "  cried  his  father. 

"  You  walk  down  to  the  footlights,  and  the  King  of 
Egypt  will  be  on  one  side  of  you  and  Father  Christmas 
on  the  other,"  explained  the  vicar. 

"  And  you  needn't  look  round  for  the  females,  'cause 
they  don't  appear  till  later  on,"  added  Jack  Head. 

A  great  laugh  followed  this  jest,  whereon  Miss  Mas- 
terman  begged  her  brother  to  try  and  keep  order. 

"  If  they  are  not  going  to  be  serious,  we  had  better 
give  it  up,  and  waste  no  more  time,"  she  said. 

"  Don't  take  it  like  that,  miss,  I  beg  of  you,"  urged 
Nathan.  "  All's  prospering  very  well.  We  shall 
shape  down.     Go  on,  Ned." 

Ned  looked  at  his  part,  then  put  it  behind  his  back, 
and  then  brought  it  out  again. 

"  This  is  too  bad,  Baskerville,"  complained  Dennis. 
"  You  told  me  yesterday  that  you  knew  every  word." 

"  So  I  did  yesterday,  I'll  swear  to  it.  I  said  it  out  in 
the  kitchen  after  supper  to  mother  —  didn't  I,  father  ?  " 

"  You  did,"  assented  Vivian ;  "  but  that's  no  use  if 
you've  forgot  it  now." 

"  *Tis  stage  fright,"  explained  Nathan.  "  You'll  get 
over  it." 

"  Think  you'm  talking  to  a  maiden,"  advised  Jack 
Head. 

"  Do  get  on  !  "  cried  Dennis.  Then  he  prompted 
the  faulty  mummer. 

**  Here  come  I,  St.  George " 

Ned  struck  an  attitude  and  started. 

♦*  Here  come  I,  St.  George  ;  from  Britain  did  I  spring  ; 
I'll  fight  the  Russian  Bear,  my  wonders  to  begin. 
I'll  pierce  him  through,  he  shall  not  fly  ; 
I'll  cut  him  —  cut  him  —  cut  him " 

"  How  does  it  go  ?  " 

"  '  I'll  cut  him  down,'  "  prompted  Dennis. 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  129 

"  Right !  " 

<'  I'll  cut  him  down,  or  else  I'll  die." 

"  Good  !     Now,  come  on,  Bear  !  "  said  Nathan. 

"  You  and  Jack  Head  will  have  to  practise  the  fight," 
explained  the  vicar ;  "  and  at  this  point,  or  earlier,  the 
ladies  will  march  in  to  music  and  take  their  places, 
because,  of  course,  *  fair  Sabra '  has  to  see  St.  George 
conquer  his  foes." 

"  That'll  suit  Ned  exactly  !  "  laughed  Nathan. 

Then  he  marshalled  Cora  and  several  other  young 
women,  including  May  and  Polly  Baskerville  from 
Cadworthy,  and  Cora's  sister  Phyllis. 

"  There  will  be  a  dais  lifted  up  at  the  back,  you 
know  —  that's  a  raised  platform.  But  for  the  present 
you  must  pretend  these  chairs  are  the  throne.  You 
sit  by  *  fair  Sabra,'  Thomas,  and  then  the  trumpets 
sound  and  the  Bear  comes  on." 

"  Who'll  play  the  brass  music  ?  "  asked  Head,  "  be- 
cause I've  got  a  very  clever  friend  at  Sheepstor " 

"  Leave  all  that  to  me.  The  music  is  arranged. 
Now,  come  on  !  " 

"  Shall  you  come  on  and  play  it  like  a  four-footed 
thing,  or  get  up  on  your  hind-legs.  Jack .''  "  asked  St. 
George. 

"  I  be  going  to  come  in  growling  and  yowling  on 
all  fours,"  declared  Mr.  Head  grimly.  "  Then  I  be 
going  to  do  a  sort  of  a  comic  bear  dance  ;  then  I  be 
going  to  have  a  bit  of  fun  eating  a  plum  pudding  ;  then 
1  thought  that  me  and  Mr.  Nathan  might  have  a  bit  of 
comic  work ;  and  then  I  should  get  up  on  my  hind- 
legs  and  go  for  St.  George." 

"You  can't  do  all  that,"  declared  Dennis.  "Not 
that  I  want  to  interfere  with  you,  or  anybody.  Head  ; 
but  if  each  one  is  going  to  work  out  his  part  and  put 
such  a  lot  into  it,  we  shall  never  get  done." 


I30 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS 


"  The  thing  is  to  make  'em  laugh,  reverend  Master- 
man,"  answered  Jack  with  firmness.  "  If  I  just  come 
on  and  just  say  my  speech,  and  fight  and  die,  there's 
nought  in  it;  but  if " 

"  Go  on,  then  —  go  on.     We'll  talk  afterwards." 

"  Right.  Now  you  try  not  to  laugh,  souls,  and  I 
wager  I'll  make  you  giggle  like  a  lot  of  zanies,"  prom- 
ised Jack. 

Then  he  licked  his  hands,  went  down  upon  them,  and 
scrambled  along  upon  all  fours. 

"  Good  for  you.  Jack  !  Well  done  !  You'm  fun- 
nier than  anything  that's  gone  afore  !  "  cried  Joe  Voysey. 

"So  you  be,  for  certain,"  added  Mrs.  Hacker. 

"  For  all  the  world  like  my  bob-tailed  sheep-dog," 
declared  Mr.  Waite. 

"  Now  I  be  going  to  sit  up  on  my  hams  and  scratch 
myself,"  explained  Mr.  Head;  "then  off  I  go  again 
and  have  a  sniff  at  Father  Christmas.  Then  you 
ought  to  give  me  a  plum  pudding,  Mr.  Baskerville, 
and  I  balance  it  'pon  my  nose." 

"  Well  thought  on  !  "  declared  Nathan.  "  So  I  will. 
'Twill  make  the  folk  die  of  laughing  to  see  you." 

"  Come  on  to  the  battle,"  said  Dennis. 

"  Must  be  a  sort  of  wraslin'  fight,"  continued  Head, 
"  because  the  Bear's  got  nought  but  his  paws.  Then, 
I  thought,  when  I'd  throwed  St.  George  a  fair  back 
heel,  he'd  get  up  and  draw  his  shining  sword  and  stab 
me  in  the  guts.  Then  I'd  roar  and  roar,  till  the  place 
fairly  echoed  round,  and  then  I'd  die  in  frightful  agony." 

"  You  ban't  the  whole  play.  Jack,"  said  Mr.  Gollop 
with  much  discontent.  "  You  forget  yourself,  surely. 
You  can't  have  the  King  of  Egypt  and  these  here 
other  high  characters  all  standing  on  the  stage  doing 
nought  while  you'm  going  through  these  here  vagaries." 
But  Mr.  Head  stuck  to  his  text. 

"  We'm  here  to  make  'em  laugh,"  he  repeated  with 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  131 

bull-dog  determination.  "  And  I'll  do  it  if  mortal  man 
can  do  it.  Then,  when  I've  took  the  doctor's  stuff, 
up  I  gets  again  and  goes  on  funnier  than  ever." 

"  I  wouldn't  miss  it  for  money.  Jack,"  declared 
Vivian  Baskerville.  "  Such  a  clever  chap  as  you  be, 
and  none  of  us  ever  knowed  it.  You  ought  to  go  for 
Tom  Fool  to  the  riders.^  I  lay  you'd  make  tons  more 
money  than  ever  you  will  to  Trowlesworthy  Warren." 

"  By  the  way,  who  is  to  be  the  Doctor  .?  "  asked  Ned 
Baskerville.     "  'Twasn't  settled,  Mr.  Masterman." 

Dennis  collapsed  blankly. 

"  By  Jove,  no  !  More  it  was,"  he  admitted,  "  and 
I've  forgotten  all  about  it.  The  Doctor's  very  im- 
portant, too.  We  must  have  him  before  the  next  re- 
hearsal. For  the  present  you  can  read  it  out  of  the 
book,  Mark." 

Mark  Baskerville  was  prompting,  and  now,  after 
St.  George  and  the  Bear  had  made  a  pretence  of 
wrestling,  and  the  Bear  had  perished  with  much  noise 
and  to  the  accompaniment  of  loud  laughter,  Mark  read 
the  Doctor's  somewhat  arrogant  pretensions. 


*<  All  sorts  of  diseases  — 
Whatever  you  pleases  : 
The  phthisic,  the  palsy,  the  gout. 
If  the  Devil's  in,  I  blow  him  out. 


**  I  carry  a  bottle  of  alicampane. 
Here,  Russian  Bear,  take  a  little  of  my  flip-flap. 
Pour  it  down  thy  tip-tap  ; 
Rise  up  and  fight  again  !  " 

"  Well  said,  Mark  !  'Twas  splendidly  given.  Why 
for  shouldn't  Mark  be  Doctor  ?  "  asked  Nathan. 

"An  excellent  idea,"  declared  Dennis.  "I'm  sure  now, 
if  the  fair  Queen  Sabra  will  only  put  in  a  word " 

1  The  Riders  —  a  circus. 


132  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

Mark's  engagement  was  known.  The  people  clapped 
their  hands  heartily  and  Cora  blushed. 

"  I  wish  he  would,"  said  Cora. 

"  Your  wish  ought  to  be  his  law,"  declared  Ned. 
"  I'm  sure  if  'twas  me " 

But  Mark  shook  his  head. 

"  I  couldn't  do  it,"  he  answered.  "  I  would  if  I 
could  ;  but  when  the  time  came,  and  the  people,  and 
the  excitement  of  it  all,  I  should  break  down,  I'm  sure 
I  should," 

"  It's  past  ten  o'clock,"  murmured  Miss  Masterman 
to  her  brother. 

The  rehearsal  proceeded :  Jack  Head,  as  the  Bear, 
was  restored  to  life  and  slain  again  with  much  detail. 
Then  Ned  proceeded  — 

**  I  fought  the  Russian  Bear 

And  brought  him  to  the  slaughter ; 

By  that  I  won  fair  Sabra, 

The  King  of  Egypt's  daughter. 

Where  is  the  man  that  now  will  me  defy  ? 

I'll  cut  his  giblets  full  of  holes  and  make  his  buttons  fly." 

"  And  when  I've  got  my  sword,  of  course  'twill  be 
much  finer,"  concluded  Ned. 

Mr.  Gollop  here  raised  an  objection. 

"  I  don't  think  the  man  ought  to  tell  about  cutting 
anybody's  giblets  full  of  holes,"  he  said;  "no,  nor  yet 
making  their  buttons  fly.  'Tis  very  coarse,  and  the 
gentlefolks  wouldn't  like  it." 

"  Nonsense,  Tom,"  answered  the  vicar,  "  it's  all  in 
keeping  with  the  play.  There's  no  harm  in  it  at 
all." 

"  Evil  be  to  them  as  evil  think,"  said  Jack  Head. 
"  Now  comes  the  song,  reverend  Masterman,  and  I  was 
going  to  propose  that  the  Bear,  though  he's  dead  as  a 
nit,  rises  up  on  his  front  paws  and  sings  with  the  rest, 
then  drops  down  again  —  eh,  souls  ?  " 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS 


133 


"They'll  die  of  laughing  if  you  do  that,  Jack," 
declared  Vivian.     "  I  vote  for  it." 

But  Dennis  firmly  refused  permission  and  addressed 
his  chorus. 

"Now,  girls,  the  song  —  everybody  joins.  The 
other  songs  are  not  written  yet,  so  we  need  not  bother 
about  them  till  next  time." 

The  girls,  glad  of  something  to  do,  sang  vigorously, 
and  the  song  went  well.  Then  the  Turkish  Knight 
was  duly  slain,  restored  and  slain  again. 

"  We  can't  finish  to-night,"  declared  Dennis,  looking 
at  his  watch,  "so  I'm  sorry  to  have  troubled  you  to 
come,  Mrs.  Hacker,  and  you,  Voysey." 

"  They  haven't  wasted  their  time,  however,  because 
Head  and  I  have  showed  them  what  acting  means," 
said  Nathan.  "  And  when  you  do  come  on,  Susan 
Hacker,  you've  got  to  quarrel  and  pull  my  beard, 
remember ;  then  we  make  it  up  afterwards." 

"  We'll  finish  for  to-night  with  the  Giant,"  decreed 
Dennis.  "  Now  speak  your  long  speech,  St.  George, 
and  then  Mr.  Baskerville  can  do  the  Giant." 

Ned,  who  declared  that  he  had  as  yet  learned  no 
more,  read  his  next  speech,  and  Vivian  began  behind 
the  scenes  — 

"  Fee  —  fi  —  fo  —  fum  ! 
I  smell  the  blood  of  an  Englishman. 
Let  him  be  living,  or  let  him  be  dead, 
I'll  grind  his  bones  to  make  my  bread." 

"  You  ought  to  throw  a  bit  more  roughness  in  your 
voice,  farmer,"  suggested  Mr.  Gollop.  "If  you  could 
bring  it  up  from  the  innards,  'twould  sound  more 
awful,  wouldn't  it,  reverend  Masterman  ?  " 

"  And  when  you  come  on,  farmer,  you  might  pass 
me  by  where  I  lie  dead,"  said  Jack,  "and  I'll  up  and 
give  you  a  nip  in  the  calf  of  the  leg,  and  you'll  jump 
round,  and  the  people  will  roar  again." 


134  THE    THREE    BROTHERS 

"  No,"  declared  the  vicar.  "  No  more  of  you, 
Head,  till  the  end.  Then  you  come  to  life  and  dance 
with  the  French  Eagle  —  that's  Voysey.  But  you 
mustn't  act  any  more  till  then." 

"  A  pity,"  answered  Jack.  "  I  was  full  of  contri- 
vances ;  however,  if  you  say  so " 

"  Be  I  to  dance  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Voysey.  "  This  is 
the  first  I've  heard  tell  o'  that.  How  can  I  dance, 
and  the  rheumatism  eating  into  my  knees  for  the  last 
twenty  year  ? " 

"  I'll  dance,"  said  Head.  "  You  can  just  turn  round 
and  round  slowly." 

"  Now,  Mr.  Baskerville  !  " 

Vivian  strode  on  to  the  stage. 

"  Make  your  voice  big,  my  dear,"  pleaded  Gollop. 

"  Here  come  I,  the  Giant  ;  bold  Turpin  is  my  name. 
And  all  the  nations  round  do  tremble  at  my  fame. 
Where'er  I  go,  they  tremble  at  my  sight  : 
No  lord  or  champion  long  with  me  will  dare  to  fight.'* 

"  People  will  cheer  you  like  thunder,  Vivian,"  said 
his  brother,  "  because  they  know  that  the  nations 
really  did  tremble  at  your  fame  when  you  was  cham- 
pion wrestler  of  the  west." 

"  But  you  mustn't  stand  like  that,  farmer,"  said 
Jack  Head.  "  You'm  too  spraddlesome.  For  the 
Lord's  sake,  man,  try  and  keep  your  feet  in  the  same 
parish  !  " 

Mr.  Baskerville  bellowed  with  laughter  and  slapped 
his  immense  thigh. 

"  Dammy  !  that's  funnier  than  anything  in  the  play," 
he  said.  "  '  Keep  my  feet  in  the  same  parish  ! '  Was 
ever  a  better  joke  heard  ?  " 

"  Now,  St.  George,  kill  the  Giant,"  commanded 
Dennis.  "  The  Giant  will  have  a  club,  and  he'll 
try  to  smash  you ;  then  you  run  him  through  the 
body." 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  135 

"  Take  care  you  don't  hit  Ned  in  real  earnest,  how- 
ever, else  you'd  settle  him  and  spoil  the  play,"  said 
Mr.  Voysey.  "  'Twould  be  a  terrible  tantarra  for 
certain  if  the  Giant  went  and  whipped  St.  George." 

"'Twouldn't  be  the  first  time,  however,"  said  Mr. 
Baskerville.     "  Would  it,  Ned  ?  " 

Nathan  and  Ned's  sisters  appreciated  this  family 
joke.  Then  Mr.  Gollop  advanced  a  sentimental 
objection. 

"  I  may  be  wrong,"  he  admitted,  "  but  I  can't  help 
thinking  it  might  be  a  bit  ondecent  for  Ned  Basker- 
ville here  to  kill  his  father,  even  in  play.  You  see, 
though  everybody  will  know  'tis  Ned  and  his  parent, 
and  that  they'm  only  pretending,  yet  it  might  shock  a 
serious-minded  person  here  and  there  to  see  the  son 
kill  the  father.  I  don't  say  I  mind,  as  'tis  all  make- 
believe  and  the  frolic  of  a  night ;  but  —  well,  there 
tis. 

"  You'm  a  silly  old  grandmother,  and  never  no  King 
of  Egypt  was  such  a  fool  afore,"  said  Jack.  "  Pay  no 
heed  to  him,  reverend  Masterman." 

Gollop  snarled  at  Head,  and  they  began  to  wrangle 
fiercely. 

Then  Dennis  closed  the  rehearsal. 

"  That'll  do  for  the  present,"  he  announced. 
"  We've  made  a  splendid  start,  and  the  thing  to  re- 
member is  that  we  meet  here  again  this  day  week,  at 
seven  o'clock.  And  mind  you  know  your  part,  Ned. 
Another  of  the  songs  will  be  ready  by  then ;  and  the 
new  harmonium  will  have  come  that  my  sister  is  going 
to  play.  And  do  look  about,  all  of  you,  to  find  some- 
body who  will  take  the  Doctor." 

"  We  shall  have  the  nation's  eyes  on  us  —  not  for 
the  first  time,"  declared  Mr.  Gollop  as  he  tied  a  white 
wool  muffler  round  his  throat;  "and  I'm  sure  I  hope 
one  and  all  will  do  the  best  that's  in  'em." 


136  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

The  actors  departed ;  the  oil  lamps  were  extin- 
guished, and  the  vicar  and  his  sister  returned  home. 
She  said  little  by  the  way,  and  her  severe  silence  made 
him  rather  nervous. 

"Well,"  he  broke  out  at  length,  "jolly  good,  I 
think,  for  a  first  attempt  —  eh,  Alice.?  " 

"  I'm  glad  you  were  satisfied,  dear.  Everything 
depends  upon  us  —  that  seems  quite  clear,  at  any  rate. 
They'll  all  get  terribly  self-conscious  and  silly,  I'm 
afraid,  long  before  the  time  comes.  However,  we 
must  hope  for  the  best.  But  I  shouldn't  be  in  a  hurry 
to  ask  anybody  who  really  matters." 


CHAPTER   XII 

IN  a  triangle  the  wild  land  of  the  Rut  sloped  down 
from  Hawk  House  to  the  valley  beneath,  and  its 
solitary  time  of  splendour  belonged  to  Spring,  when 
the  great  furzes  were  blooming  and  the  white  thorns 
filled  the  valley  with  light.  Hither  came  Mark  to 
keep  tryst  with  Cora  beside  the  stream.  He  walked 
not  loverly  but  languid,  for  his  mind  was  in  trouble, 
and  his  gait  reflected  it. 

To  water's  brink  he  came,  sat  on  a  familiar  stump 
above  Torry  Brook,  and  watched  sunshine  play  over 
the  ripples  and  a  dance  of  flies  upon  the  sunshine. 

Looked  at  in  a  mass,  the  insects  seemed  no  more 
than  a  glimmering,  like  a  heat  haze,  over  the  water  and 
against  the  background  of  the  woods  ;  but  noted  closer 
the  plan  and  pattern  of  these  myriads  showed  method: 
the  little  storm  of  flies  gyrated  in  a  circle,  and  while 
the  whole  cluster  swept  this  way  and  that  with  the 
proper  motion  of  the  mass,  yet  each  individual,  like 
planets  round  the  sun,  revolved  about  a  definite  but 
shifting  centre.  The  insects  whirled  round  and  round, 
rose  and  sank  again,  each  atom  describing  repeated 
circles;  and  though  the  united  motion  of  this  company 
suspended  here  in  air  appeared  inconceivably  rapid  and 
dazzling,  yet  the  progress  of  each  single  gnat  was  not 
fast. 

Mark  observed  this  little  galaxy  of  glittering  lives, 
and,  knowing  some  natural  history,  he  considered  in- 
telligently the  thing  he  saw.  For  a  moment  it  dis- 
tracted him.  A  warm  noon  had  wakened  innumerable 
brief  existences  that  a  cold  night  would  still  again.     All 

137 


138  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

this  immense  energy  must  soon  cease  and  the  ephem- 
eral atoms  perish  at  the  chill  touch  of  evening ;  but  to 
Nature  it  mattered  neither  more  nor  less  if  a  dance  of 
nebulae  or  a  dance  of  gnats  should  make  an  end  that 
night.  Countless  successions  of  both  were  a  part  of 
her  work.  From  awful  marriages  of  ancient  suns  new 
suns  would  certainly  be  born  ;  and  out  of  this  midge 
dance  here  above  the  water,  potential  dances  for  an- 
other day  were  ensured,  before  the  little  system  sank  to 
rest,  the  aureole  of  living  light  became  extinguished. 

He  turned  from  the  whirl  and  wail  of  the  gnats  to 
his  own  thoughts,  and  found  them  also  revolving  rest- 
lessly. But  their  sun  and  centre  was  Cora.  He  had 
asked  her  to  meet  him  here,  in  a  favourite  and  secret 
place,  that  he  might  speak  harsh  things  to  her.  There 
was  no  love-making  toward  just  now.  She  had  angered 
him  once  and  again.  He  considered  his  grievances, 
strove  to  palliate  them,  and  see  all  with  due  allowance ; 
but  his  habit  of  mind,  if  vague,  was  not  unjust.  He 
loved  her  passionately,  but  that  she  should  put  delib- 
erate indignities  upon  him  argued  a  faulty  reciprocity 
of  love.  Time  had  revealed  that  Cora  did  not  care  for 
Mark  as  well  as  he  cared  for  her ;  and  that  would  not 
have  mattered  —  he  held  it  reasonable.  But  he  desired 
a  larger  measure  of  affection  and  respect  than  he  had 
received.  Then  to  his  quick  senses  even  the  existing 
affection  diminished,  and  respect  appeared  to  die. 

These  dire  shadows  had  risen  out  of  the  rehearsals 
for  the  play.  Cora's  attitude  towards  other  young 
men  first  astonished  Mark  and  then  annoyed  him.  He 
kept  his  annoyance  to  himself,  however,  for  fear  of 
being  laughed  at.  Then,  thanks  to  his  cousin,  Ned 
Baskerville,  and  the  young  farmer,  Timothy  Waite, 
he  was  laughed  at,  for  Cora  found  these  youths  better 
company  than  Mark  himself,  and  Jack  Head  and  others 
did  not  hesitate  to  rally  him  about  his  indifferent  lady. 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  139 

"She's  more  gracious  with  either  of  them  than  with 
me,"  he  reflected.  "  Why,  actually,  when  I  offered  as 
usual  to  walk  home  with  her  last  week,  she  said  yonder 
man  had  promised  to  do  so  and  she  need  not  trouble 
me ! 

As  he  spoke  he  lifted  his  eyes  where  a  farm  showed 
on  the  hills  westerly  through  the  trees.  Coldstone 
was  a  prosperous  place,  and  the  freehold  of  a  prosper- 
ous man,  young  Waite,  the  Turkish  Knight  of  the 
play. 

He  had  seen  Cora  home  according  to  her  wish,  and 
Mark  had  kept  his  temper  and  afterwards  made  the 
present  appointment  by  letter.  Now  Cora  came  to 
him,  late  from  another  interview  —  but  concerning  it 
she  said  nothing. 

On  her  way  from  Undershaugh  it  happened  that  she 
had  fallen  in  with  Mark's  father.  The  old  man  rode 
his  pony,  and  Cora  was  passing  him  hastily  when  he 
stopped  and  called  her  to  him.  They  had  not  met 
since  the  occasion  of  the  girl's  first  and  last  visit  to 
Hawk  House. 

"Come  hither,"  he  said.  "I've  fretted  you,  it 
seems,  and  set  you  against  me.  I'm  sorry  for  that. 
You  should  be  made  of  stouter  stuff.  Shake  hands 
with  me,  Cora,  please." 

He  held  out  his  hand  and  she  took  it  silently. 

"  I'll  turn  and  go  a  bit  of  your  road.  If  you  intend 
to  marry  my  son,  you  must  make  shift  to  be  my 
daughter,  you  see.  What  was  it  made  you  so  cross 
that  you  ran  away?  But  I  know  —  I  spoke  against 
your  clothes." 

"  You  spoke  against  everything.  I  felt  in  every 
drop  of  blood  in  my  body  that  you  didn't  like  me. 
That's  why  I  had  to  run." 

He  was  silent  a  moment.  Suddenly  he  pointed  to 
one  faint  gold  torch  above  their  heads,  where  a  single 


I40  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

bough  of  an  elm  was  autumn-painted,  and  began  to 
glow  on  the  bosom  of  a  tree  still  green.  It  stood  out 
shining  against  the  deep  summer  darkness  of  the  foliage. 

"  What  d'you  make  of  that?  "  he  asked. 

She  looked  up. 

"  'Tis  winter  coming  again,  I  suppose." 

"  Yes  —  winter  for  us,  death  for  the  leaves.  I'm  like 
that  —  I'm  frost-bitten  here  and  there  —  in  places. 
'Twas  a  frosty  day  with  me  when  you  came  to  dinner. 
I'm  sorry  I  hurt  you.  But  you  must  be  sensible.  It's 
a  lot  harder  to  be  a  good  wife  than  a  popular  maiden. 
My  son  Mark  will  need  a  strong-minded  woman,  not 
a  silly  one.  The  question  is,  are  you  going  to  rise  to 
it?  However,  we'll  leave  that.  How  did  you  know 
in  every  drop  of  your  blood,  as  you  say,  that  you'd 
failed  to  please  me?" 

"  I  knew  it  by  — oh,  by  everything.  By  your  eyes 
and  by  the  tone  of  your  voice.  You  said  you  wanted 
to  talk  to  me." 

"  Well,  I  did." 

"You  never  asked  me  nothing." 

"  There  was  no  need,  you  told  me  everything." 

"  I  said  nought,  I'm  sure." 

"  You  said  all  I  wanted  to  hear  and  told  me  a  lot 
more  than  I  wanted,  or  expected,  to  hear  for  that 
matter." 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  understand  you,  Mr.  Baskerville." 

"  No  need  —  no  need.  That's  only  to  say  you're 
like  the  rest.  They  wonder  how  'tis  they  don't  under- 
stand me  —  fools  that  they  are  !  —  and  yet  how  many 
understand  themselves  ?  I'll  tell  you  this  :  you're  not 
the  right  wife  for  Mark." 

"  Then  I  won't  marry  him.  There's  quite  as  good 
as  him,  and  better,  for  that  matter." 

"  Plenty.  Take  young  W^aite  from  Coldstone  Farm, 
for  instance.     A  strong  man  he  is.      My  son  Mark  is 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  141 

a  weak  man  —  a  gentle  character  he  hath.  'Tis  the 
strong  men  —  they  that  want  things  —  that  alter  the 
face  of  the  world,  and  make  history,  and  help  the  breed 
—  not  such  as  Mark.  He'd  spoil  you  and  bring  out 
all  the  very  worst  of  you.  Such  a  man  as  Waite  would 
do  different.  He'd  not  stand  your  airs  and  graces, 
and  little  silly  whims  and  fancies.  He'd  break  you 
in ;  he'd  tame  you  ;  and  you'd  look  back  afterwards 
and  thank  God  you  fell  to  a  strong  man  and  not  a 
weak  one." 

"  Women  marry  for  love,  not  for  taming,"  she  said. 

"  Some,  perhaps,  but  not  you.  You  ban't  built  to 
love,  if  you  want  to  know  the  whole  truth,"  he  an- 
swered calmly.  "  You  belong  to  a  sort  of  woman  who 
takes  all  and  gives  nought.  I  wish  I  could  ope  your 
eyes  to  yourself,  but  I  suppose  that's  beyond  human 
power.  But  this  I'll  say  :  I  wish  you  nothing  but  good  ; 
and  the  best  good  of  all  for  such  a  one  as  you  is  to  get 
a  glimpse  of  yourself  through  a  sensible  and  not  un- 
kindly pair  of  eyes.  If  you  are  going  to  marry  Mark, 
and  want  to  be  a  happy  woman  and  wish  him  to  be  a 
happy  man,  you  must  think  of  a  lot  of  things  beside 
your  wedding  frock." 

"  For  two  pins  I  wouldn't  marry  him  at  all  after 
this,"  she  said.  "  You'd  break  any  girl's  heart,  speak- 
ing so  straight  and  coarse  to  her.  I  ban't  accustomed 
to  be  talked  to  so  cruel,  and  I  won't  stand  it." 

"I  do  beg  you  to  think  again,"  he  said,  stopping 
his  pony.  "  I'm  only  telling  you  what  I've  often  told 
myself.  I'm  always  open  to  hear  sense  from  any  man, 
save  now  and  again  when  I  find  myself  in  a  black  mood 
and  won't  hear  anything.  But  you  —  a  green  girl  as 
haven't  seen  one  glimpse  of  the  grey  side  yet  —  why, 
'tis  frank  foolishness  to  refuse  good  advice  from  an 
old  man." 

"You    don't  want  to   give  me  good   advice,"  she 


142 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS 


answered,  and  her  face  was  red  and  her  voice  high ; 
"  you  only  want  to  make  me  think  small  things  of 
myself,  and  despise  myself,  and  to  choke  me  off  Mark." 

"  To  choke  you  off  Mark  might  be  the  best  advice 
anybody  could  give  you,  for  that  matter,  my  dear ; 
and  as  to  your  thinking  small  things  of  yourself —  no 
such  luck  I  see.  You'll  go  on  thinking  a  lot  of  your 
little,  empty  self  till  you  stop  thinking  for  good  and 
all.  Life  ban't  going  to  teach  you  anything  worth 
knowing,  because  you've  stuffed  up  your  ears  with  self- 
conceit  and  vanity.  So  go  your  way  ;  but  if  you  get  a 
grain  of  sense  come  back  to  me,  and  I  shall  be  very 
glad  to  hear  about  it." 

He  left  her  standing  still  in  a  mighty  temper.  She 
felt  inclined  to  fling  a  stone  after  him.  And  yet  she 
rejoiced  at  the  bottom  of  her  heart,  because  this  scene 
made  her  future  actions  easier.  Only  one  thing  still 
held  her  to  Mark  Baskerville,  and  that  was  his  money. 
The  sickly  ghost  of  regard  for  him,  which  she  was 
pleased  to  call  love,  existed  merely  as  the  answer  to 
her  own  appeal  to  her  conscience.  She  had  never 
loved  him,  but  when  the  opportunity  came,  she  could 
not  refuse  his  worldly  wealth  and  the  future  of  success- 
ful comfort  it  promised. 

Now,  however,  were  appearing  others  who  attracted 
her  far  more.  Two  men  had  entered  into  her  life 
since  the  rehearsals,  and  both  pleased  her  better  than 
Mark.  One  she  liked  for  his  person  and  for  his 
charms  of  manner  and  of  speech  ;  the  other  for  his 
masterful  character  and  large  prosperity.  One  was 
better  looking  than  Mark,  and  knew  far  better  how  to 
worship  a  woman  ;  the  other  was  perhaps  as  rich  as 
Mark  would  be,  and  he  appealed  to  her  much  more 
by  virtue  of  his  masculinity  and  vigour.  Mr.  Basker- 
ville had  actually  mentioned  this  individual  during  the 
recent  conversation  ;  and  it  was  of  him,  too,  that  Mark 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  143 

considered  where  he  sat  and  waited  for  Cora  by  the 
stream. 

But  though  she  felt  Timothy  Waite's  value,  yet  a 
thing  even  stronger  drew  her  to  the  other  man.  Ned 
Baskerville  was  the  handsomest,  gallantest,  most  fas- 
cinating creature  that  Cora  had  ever  known.  Chance 
threw  them  little  together  until  the  rehearsals,  but  since 
then  they  had  met  often,  and  advanced  far  along  a 
road  of  mutual  admiration.  Like  clove  to  like,  and 
the  emptiness  of  each  heart  struck  a  kindred  echo  from 
the  other;  but  neither  appreciated  the  hoUowness  of 
the  sound. 

Under  these  circumstances  Humphrey  Baskerville's 
strictures,  though  exceedingly  painful  to  her  self-love, 
were  not  unwelcome,  for  they  made  the  thing  that  she 
designed  to  do  reasonable  and  proper.  It  would  be 
simple  to  quote  his  father  to  her  betrothed  when  she 
threw  him  over. 

In  this  temper  Cora  now  appeared  to  Mark.  Had 
he  been  aware  of  it  he  might  have  hesitated  before 
adding  further  fuel  to  the  flames.  But  he  began  in  a 
friendly  fashion,  rose  and  kissed  her. 

"You're  late,  Cora.  Look  here.  Sit  down  and 
get  cool  and  watch  these  flies.  The  merry  dancers, 
they  are  called,  and  well  they  may  be.  'Tis  a  regular 
old  country  measure  they  seem  to  tread  in  the  air  — 
figure  in  and  cross  over  and  all  — just  like  you  do  when 
you  go  through  the  old  dance  in  the  play." 

But  she  was  in  no  mood  of  softness. 

"A  tidy  lot  of  dancing  I'll  get  when  I'm  married  to 
you  !  You  know  you  hate  it,  and  hate  everything  else 
with  any  joy  and  happiness  to  it.  You're  only  your 
father  over  again,  when  all's  said,  and  God  defend  me 
from  him !    I  can't  stand  no  more  of  him,  and  I  won't." 

"  You've  met  him  ?  "  said  Mark.  "  I  was  afraid 
you  might.      I'm  sorry  for  that." 


144  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

"  Not  so  sorry  as  I  am.  If  I  was  dirt  by  the  road 
he  couldn't  have  treated  me  worse.  And  I'm  not 
going  to  suffer  it  —  never  once  more  —  not  if  he  was 
ten  times  your  father  !  " 

"  What  did  he  say  ?  " 

"  What  didn't  he  say  ?  Not  a  kind  word,  anyway. 
And  'tis  vain  your  sticking  up  for  him,  because  he 
don't  think  any  better  of  you  than  he  do  of  me  seem- 
ingly. 'Twas  to  that  man  he  pointed."  She  raised 
her  arm  towards  the  farm  through  the  trees.  "  He 
thinks  a  lot  more  of  Timothy  Waite  than  he  does  of 
you,  I  can  tell  you." 

"  I'll  talk  to  father.     This  can't  go  on." 

"  No,  it  can't  go  on.  Life's  too  short  for  this  sort 
of  thing.  I  won't  be  bullied  by  anybody.  People 
seem  to  forget  who  I  am." 

"  You  mustn't  talk  so,  Cora.  I'm  terrible  sorry 
about  it ;  but  father's  father,  and  he'll  go  his  own 
rough  way,  and  you  ought  to  know  what  way  that  is 
by  now.     Don't  take  it  to  heart  —  he  means  well." 

"'Heart!'  I've  got  no  heart  according  to  him  — 
no  heart,  no  sense,  no  nothing.  Just  a  dummy  to 
show  off  pretty  clothes." 

"  He  never  said  that !  " 

"Yes,  he  did;  and  worse,  and  I'm  tired  of  it. 
You're  not  the  only  man  in  the  world." 

"  Nothing  is  gained  by  my  quarrelling  with  father." 

"  I  suppose  not ;  but  I've  got  my  self-respect,  and 
I  can't  marry  the  son  of  a  man  that  despises  me 
openly  like  he  does.  I  won't  be  bullied  by  him,  I 
promise  you  —  a  cruel  hunks  he  is,  and  would  gore 
me  to  pieces  if  he  dared  !  No  better  than  a  mad  bull, 
I  call  him." 

"  'Tis  no  good  your  blackguarding  my  father, 
Cora,"  said  Mark. 

"  Perhaps  not ;  and  'tis  no  good  his  blackguarding 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  145 

me.  Very  different  to  your  Uncle  Vivian,  I'm  sure. 
Always  a  kind  word  and  a  pat  on  the  cheek  he've  got ; 
and  so  have  your  Uncle  Nathan." 

"Uncle  Vivian  can  be  hard  enough  too  —  as  my 
cousin  Rupert  that  means  to  marry  Milly  Luscombe 
will  tell  you.  In  fact,  Rupert's  going  away  because 
he  won't  stand  his  father." 

"Why  don't  you  go  away  then?  If  you  were 
worth  your  salt,  you'd  turn  your  back  on  any  man 
living  who  has  treated  me  so  badly  as  your  father 
has." 

"We're  in  for  a  row,  it  seems,"  answered  Mark, 
"  and  I'd  better  begin  and  get  a  painful  job  over. 
When  you've  heard  me,  I'll  hear  you.  In  the  matter 
of  my  father  I'll  do  what  a  son  can  do  —  that  I 
promise  you  ;    but  there's  something  on  my  side  too." 

"  Say  it  out  then  —  the  sooner  the  better." 

She  found  herself  heartily  hating  Mark  and  was 
anxious  to  break  with  him  while  angry  ;  because  anger 
would  make  an  unpleasant  task  more  easy. 

"  In  a  word,  it's  Ned  Baskerville  and  that  man 
over  there  —  Waite.  These  rehearsals  of  the  play  — 
you  know  very  well  how  you  carry  on,  Cora ;  and  you 
know  very  well  'tisn't  right  or  seemly.  You've 
promised  to  marry  me,  and  you  are  my  life  and  soul ; 
but  I  can't  share  you  with  no  other  man.  You  can't 
flirt  with  Ned  while  you're  engaged  to  me;  you  can't 
ask  Waite  to  see  you  home  of  a  night  while  you're 
engaged  to  me.     You  don't  know  what  you're  doing." 

"  Why  ban't  you  more  dashing  then  ?  "  she  asked. 
"  You  slink  about  so  mean  and  humble.  Why  don't 
you  take  a  part  in  the  play,  and  do  as  other  men,  and 
talk  louder  and  look  people  in  the  face,  as  if  you 
wasn't  feared  to  death  of  'em?  If  you  grumble,  then 
I'll  grumble  too.  You  haven't  got  enough  pluck  for 
me.     Ned's   different,  and  so's  t'other  man,  for  that 

L 


146  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

matter.  I  see  how  much  they  admire  me;  I  know 
how  they  would  go  through  fire  and  water  for  me." 

"Not  they!  Master  Ned  —  why  —  he  can  roll  his 
eyes  and  roll  his  voice ;  but  —  there  —  go  on  !  Fin- 
ish what  you've  got  to  say." 

"  I've  only  got  to  say  that  there's  a  deal  about  Ned 
you  might  very  well  copy  in  my  opinion.  He's  a 
man,  anyway,  and  a  handsome  man  for  that  matter. 
And  if  you're  going  to  fall  out  with  your  father,  then 
you'll  lose  your  money,  and " 

"I'm  not  going  to  fall  out  with  him.  You  needn't 
fear  that." 

"  Then  more  shame  to  you,  for  keeping  friendly 
with  a  man  that  hates  me.     Call  that  love  !   Ned " 

"  Have  done  about  Ned  !  "  he  cried  out.  "  Ned's 
a  lazy,  caddling  good-for-nought  —  the  laughing-stock 
of  every  decent  man  and  sane  woman  in  Shaugh.  A 
wastrel  —  worthless.  You  think  he's  fond  of  you,  I 
suppose  ?  " 

"  I  know  he  is.     And  you  know  it." 

"  Yes,  just  as  fond  of  you  as  he  is  of  every  other 
girl  that  will  let  him  be.  Anything  that  wears  a  petti- 
coat can  get  to  his  empty  heart  —  poor  fool.  Love  ! 
What  does  he  know  of  that —  a  great,  bleating  baby  ! 
His  love  isn't  worth  the  wind  he  takes  to  utter  it; 
and  you'll  very  soon  find  that  out  —  like  other  girls 
have  —  if  you  listen  to  him." 

"  He  knows  what  pleases  a  woman,  anyway." 

"Cora!  Cora!  What  are  you  saying?  D'you 
want  to  drive  me  mad  ?  " 

He  started  up  and  stared  at  her. 

"  'Twouldn't  be  driving  you  far.  Better  sit  down 
again  and  listen  to  me  now." 

"  I'll  listen  to  nothing.  I'm  choking — I'm  stifling! 
To  think  that  you  — oh,  Cora  —  good  God  Almighty 
—  and  for  such  a  man  as  that " 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  147 

He  rushed  away  frantically  and  she  saw  him  no 
more.  He  had  not  given  her  time  to  strike  the  defi- 
nite blow.  But  she  supposed  that  it  was  as  good  as 
struck.  After  such  a  departure  and  such  words,  they 
could  not  meet  again  even  as  friends.  The  engage- 
ment was  definitely  at  an  end  in  her  mind,  for  by  no 
stretch  of  imagination  might  this  be  described  as  a 
lovers'  quarrel. 

All  was  over ;  she  rejoiced  at  her  renewal  of  liberty 
and  resolved  not  to  see  Mark  any  more,  no  matter 
how  much  he  desired  it. 

She  flung  away  the  luncheon  that  she  had  brought 
and  set  off  for  home,  trusting  that  she  might  meet 
Humphrey  Baskerville  upon  the  way.  She  longed  to 
see  him  again  now  and  repay  him  for  a  little  of  the 
indignity  that  he  had  put  upon  her. 

But  she  did  not  meet  Mark's  father. 

On  the  evening  of  the  same  day  a  congenial  spirit 
won  slight  concessions  from  her.  Ned  Baskerville 
arrived  on  some  pretext  concerning  the  play.  He 
knew  very  well  by  this  time  that,  in  the  matter  of  her 
engagement,  Cora  v/as  a  victim,  and  he  felt,  as  he  had 
often  felt  before  in  other  cases,  that  she  was  the  only 
v/oman  on  earth  to  make  him  a  happy  man.  He  de- 
spised Mark  and  experienced  little  compunction  with 
respect  to  him. 

Upon  this  night  Mrs.  Lintern  was  out,  and  Cora 
made  no  objection  to  putting  on  her  hat  and  going  to  the 
high  ground  above  Shaugh  Prior  to  look  at  the  moon. 

"'Twon't  take  above  ten  minutes,  and  then  I'll  see 
you  back,"  said  Ned. 

They  went  together,  and  he  flattered  her  and  paid 
her  many  compliments  and  humbled  himself  before 
her.  She  purred  and  was  pleased.  They  moved 
along  together  and  he  told  her  that  she  was  like  the 
princess  in   the  play. 


148  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

"  You  say  nought,  but,  my  God,  you  look  every 
inch  a  princess  !  If  'twas  real  life,  I'd  slay  fifty  giants 
and  a  hundred  bears  for  you,  Cora." 

"  Don't  you  begin  that  siUiness.  I'm  sure  you 
don't  mean  a  word  of  it,  Ned." 

"  If  you  could  see  my  heart,  Cora,  you'd  see  only 
one  name  there  —  I  swear  it." 

"  What  about  t'other  names  —  all  rubbed  out,  I 
suppose  ? " 

"  They  never  were  there.  All  the  other  girls  were 
ghosts  beside  you.      Not  one  of  them " 

Suddenly  near  at  hand  the  church  bells  began  to 
throb  and  tremble  upon  the  peace  of  moonlit 
night. 

"  Mark's  out  of  the  way  then,"  said  Ned.  "  Not 
that  I'm  afraid  of  him,  or  any  other  man.  You're 
too  good  for  Mark,  Cora  —  a  million  times  too  good 
for  him.      I'm  bound  to  tell  you  so." 

"  I'm  sick  of  him  and  his  bell-ringing,"  she  said 
violently. 

"  Hullo  !     That's  strong,"  he  exclaimed. 

"  So  would  any  maiden  be.  He  puts  tenor  bell 
afore  me.  'Tis  more  to  him  than  ever  I  was.  In  a 
word,  I've  done  with  the  man  !  " 

"  You  splendid,  plucky  creature  !  'Twas  bound  to 
come.  Such  a  spirit  as  yours  never  could  have 
brooked  a  worm  like  him  !     You're  free  then  ? " 

"  Yes,  I  am." 

Elsewhere  in  the  belfry  Mark  rang  himself  into 
better  humour.  The  labour  physicked  his  grief  and 
soothed  his  soul.  He  told  himself  that  all  the  fault 
was  his,  and  when  the  chimes  were  still,  he  put  on  his 
coat  and  went  to  Undershaugh  to  beg  forgiveness. 

PhylHs  met  him. 

"  Cora's  out  walking,"  she  said. 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  149 

"  Out  walking  !     Who  with  ?  "  he  asked. 

But  Phyllis  was  nothing  if  not  cautious.  She  had 
more  heart,  but  not  more  conscience  than  her 
sister. 

"  I  don't  know  —  alone,  I  think,"  she  answered. 


CHAPTER   XIII 

A  DAY  of  storm  buffeted  the  Moor.  Fitful  streaks 
of  light  roamed  through  a  wild  and  silver  welter 
of  low  cloud ;  and  now  they  rested  on  a  pool  or 
river,  and  the  water  flashed ;  and  now  they  fired  the 
crests  of  the  high  lands  or  made  the  ruddy  brake-fern 
flame.  Behind  Shaugh  Moor  was  storm-cloud,  and 
beneath  it,  oozing  out  into  the  valleys,  extended  the 
sullen  green  of  water-logged  fields  hemmed  in  with  au- 
tumnal hedges. 

Hither  came  Mark  Baskerville  on  his  way  to  Shaugh, 
and  then  a  man  stopped  him  and  changed  his  plan.  For 
some  time  he  had  neither  seen  nor  heard  from  Cora, 
and  unable  longer  to  live  with  this  cloud  between  them, 
Mark  was  now  on  his  way  to  visit  her. 

Consideration  had  convinced  him  that  he  was  much 
in  fault,  and  that  she  did  well  to  keep  aloof  until  he 
came  penitent  back  again ;  but  he  had  already  striven 
more  than  once  to  do  so,  and  she  had  refused  to  see 
him.  He  told  himself  that  it  was  natural  she  should 
feel  angered  at  the  past,  and  natural  that  she  should  be 
in  no  haste  to  make  up  so  serious  a  quarrel. 

But  the  catastrophe  had  now  shrunk  somewhat  in  his 
estimation,  and  he  doubted  not  that  Cora,  during  the 
passage  of  many  days,  also  began  to  see  it  in  its  proper 
perspective.  He  did  not  wholly  regret  their  difference, 
and  certain  words  that  she  had  spoken  still  stung  pain- 
fully when  he  considered  them  ;  but  the  dominant  hun- 
ger in  his  mind  was  to  get  back  to  her,  kiss  her  lips  and 
hear  her  voice  again.  He  would  be  very  circumspect 
henceforth,  and  doubtless  so  would  she.     He  felt  sure 

150 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  151 

that  Cora  regretted  their  difference  now,  and  that  the 
time  was  over-ripe  for  reconciliation. 

The  next  rehearsal  would  take  place  upon  the  fol- 
lowing day,  and  Mark  felt  that  friendly  relations  must 
be  re-established  before  that  event.  He  was  on  his  road 
to  see  Cora  and  take  no  further  denial,  when  her  brother 
met  him  and  stopped  him. 

"  Lucky  I  ran  against  you,"  said  Heathman  ;  "  I've 
got  a  letter  for  you  from  my  sister,  and  meant  to  leave 
it  on  my  way  out  over  to  Lee  Moor.  Coarse  weather 
coming  by  the  look  of  it." 

"  Thank  you,"  answered  Mark.  "  You've  saved 
me  a  journey  then.      I  was  bound  for  Undershaugh." 

Heathman,  who  knew  that  he  bore  evil  news,  de- 
parted quickly,  while  the  other,  with  true  instinct  of 
sybarite,  held  the  precious  letter  a  moment  before 
opening  it. 

It  happened  that  Cora  seldom  wrote  to  him,  for 
they  met  very  often  ;  but  now,  having  a  difficult  thing 
to  say,  she  sought  this  medium,  and  Mark,  knowing 
not  the  truth,  was  glad. 

"Like  me  —  couldn't  keep  it  up  no  more,"  he 
thought.  "  I  almost  wish  she'd  let  me  say  I  was  sorry 
first ;  but  she  might  have  heard  me  say  so  a  week 
ago,  if  she'd  liked.  Thank  Heaven  we  shall  be  happy 
again  before  dark.  I'll  promise  everything  in  the 
world  she  wants  to-night  —  even  to  the  ring  with  the 
blue  stone  she  hungered  after  at  Plymouth." 

He  looked  round,  then  the  wind  hustled  him  and 
the  rain  broke  in  a  tattered  veil  along  the  edge  of  the 
hill. 

"  I'll  get  up  to  Hawk  Tor,  and  lie  snug  there,  and 
read  her  letter  in  the  lew  place  I  filled  with  fern  for 
her,"  he  thought. 

There  was  a  natural  cavern  facing  west  upon  this 
height;,  and  here,  in  a  nook    sacred   to  Cora,  he  sat 


152  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

presently  and  lighted  his  pipe  and  so  came  to  the 
pleasant  task.  He  determined  that  having  read  her 
plea  for  forgiveness,  it  would  be  impossible  to  wait 
until  nightfall  without  seeing  her. 

"  I'll  go  down  and  take  dinner  with  them,"  he 
decided  :  then  he  read  the  letter  :  — 

"Dear  Mark, 

"After  what  happened  a  little  while  ago  you 
cannot  be  surprised  if  I  say  I  will  not  marry  you. 
There  is  nothing  to  be  said  about  it  except  that  I  have 
quite  made  up  my  mind.  I  have  thought  about  it 
ever  since,  and  not  done  nothing  in  a  hurry.  We 
would  not  suit  one  another,  and  the  older  we  grew, 
the  worse  we  should  quarrel.  So  it  will  be  better  to 
part  before  any  harm  is  done.  You  vv^ill  easily  find  a 
quieter  sort  of  girl,  without  so  much  spirit  as  me. 
And  she  will  suit  you  better  than  what  I  do.  I  have 
told  my  mother  that  I  am  not  going  to  marry  you. 
And  Mr.  Nathan  Baskerville,  your  own  uncle,  though 
he  is  very  sorry  indeed  about  it,  is  our  family  friend 
and  adviser,  and  he  says  it  is  better  we  understand 
and  part  at  once.  I  hope  you  Vv'on't  make  any  fuss, 
as  nothing  will  change  me.  And  you  will  have  the 
pleasure  of  knowing  your  father  will  be  thankful. 
No  doubt  you  will  soon  find  a  better-looking  and 
nicer  girl  than  me,  and  somebody  that  your  father 
won't  treat  the  same  as  he  treated 

"  Yours  truly, 

"  Cora   Lintern." 

Through  the  man's  stunned  grief  and  above  the 
chaos  of  his  thoughts,  one  paramount  and  irrevocable 
conviction  reigned.  Cora  meant  what  she  wrote,  and 
nothing  that  he  had  power  to  say  or  to  do  would  win 
her  back  again.      She  would  never  change ;  she  had 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  153 

seen  him  In  anger  and  the  sight  had  determined  her ; 
she  had  met  his  father  and  had  felt  that  such  antago- 
nism must  ruin  her  Hfe. 

He  possessed  imagination  and  was  able  swiftly  to 
feel  what  life  must  mean  without  her.  He  believed 
that  his  days  would  be  impossible  henceforth.  He 
read  the  letter  again  and  marked  how  she  began  with 
restraint  and  gradually  wrote  herself  into  anger. 

She  smarted  when  she  reflected  on  his  father ;  and 
he  soon  convinced  himself  that  it  was  his  father  who 
had  driven  her  to  these  conclusions.  He  told  him- 
self that  he  did  not  blame  her.  The  pipe  in  his 
mouth  had  been  given  to  him  by  Cora.  He  emptied 
it  now,  put  it  into  its  case,  rose  up  and  went  home. 
He  planned  the  things  to  say  to  his  father  and  deter- 
mined to  show  him  the  letter.  Mark  desired  to  make 
his  father  suffer,  and  did  not  doubt  but  that  he  would 
suffer  when  this  catastrophe  came  to  his  ears. 

Then  his  father  appeared  before  him,  far  off,  driven 
by  the  wind  ;  and  Mark,  out  of  his  tortured  mind, 
marvelled  to  think  that  a  thing  so  small  as  this  dim 
spot,  hastening  like  a  dead  leaf  along,  should  have 
been  powerful  enough,  and  cruel  enough,  deliberately 
to  ruin  his  life.  For  he  was  now  obsessed  by  the 
belief  that  his  father  alone  must  be  thanked  for  the 
misfortune. 

They  came  together,  and  Humphrey  shouted  to  be 
heard  against  the  riot  of  the  wind.  His  hat  was 
pressed  over  his  ears;  the  tails  of  his  coat  and  the  hair 
on  his  head  leapt  and  danced  ;  his  eyes  were  watering. 

"  A  brave  wind  !  Might  blow  sense  into  a  man,  if 
anything  could.      What  are  you  doing  up  here  ?  " 

"  Read  that,"  said  the  other,  and  his  father  stopped 
and  stared  at  him.  Despite  the  rough  air  and  the 
wild  music  of  heath  and  stone,  Mark's  passion  was  not 
hidden  and  his  face  as  well  as  his  voice  proclaimed  it. 


154 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS 


"  See  what  you  have  done  for  your  only  son,"  he 
cried. 

Humphrey  held  out  his  hand  for  the  letter,  took  it 
and  turned  his  back  to  the  wind.  He  read  it  slowly, 
then  returned  it  to  Mark. 

"  She  means  that,"  he  answered.  "  This  isn't  the 
time  to  speak  to  you.  I  know  all  that's  moving  in 
you,  and  I  guess  how  hard  life  looks.  But  I  warn 
you:  be  just.  I'm  used  to  be  misread  by  the  people 
and  care  nought ;  but  I'd  not  like  for  you  to  misread 
me.     You  think  that  I've  done  this." 

"  I  know  you  have  —  and  done  it  with  maHce  afore- 
thought too.  The  only  thing  I've  ever  loved  in  life  — 
the  only  thing  that  ever  corned  into  my  days  to  make 
'em  worth  living  —  and  you  go  to  work  behind  my 
back  to  take  it  away  from  me.  And  me  as  good  a 
son  to  you  as  my  nature  would  allow  —  always  — 
always." 

"  As  good  a  son  as  need  be  hoped  for  —  I  grant 
that.  But  show  a  little  more  sense  in  this.  Use 
your  brains,  of  which  you've  got  too  many  for  your 
happiness,  and  see  the  truth.  Can  a  father  choke  a 
girl  off  a  man  if  she  loves  the  man  ?  Was  it  ever 
heard  that  mother  or  father  stopped  son  or  daughter 
from  loving?  'Tis  against  nature,  and  nought  I  could 
have  said,  and  nought  I  could  have  done  would  have 
come  between  her  and  you  —  never,  if  she'd  loved  you 
worth  a  curse.  But  she  didn't.  She  loved  the  promise 
of  your  money.  She  loved  the  thought  of  being  the 
grey  mare  and  playing  with  a  weak  man's  purse.  She 
loved  to  think  on  the  future,  when  I  was  underground 
and  her  way  clear.  And  that  hope  would  have  held 
with  her  just  as  strong  after  knowing  me,  as  before 
knowing  me.  The  passing  trouble  of  me,  and  my 
straight,  sour  speeches,  and  my  eyes  looking  through 
her  into  her  dirty  little  heart,  wouldn't  have  turned 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  155 

the  girl  away  from  you,  if  she'd  loved  you  honestly. 
Why,  even  lust  of  money  would  have  been  too  strong 
to  break  down  under  that  —  let  alone  love  of  man. 
'Tis  not  I  but  somebody  else  has  sloked^  her  away 
from  thee.  And  the  time  will  come  when  you  may 
live  to  thank  your  God  that  it's  happened  so.  But 
enough  of  that.  I  can  bear  your  hard  words,  Mark  ; 
and  bitter  though  'twill  sound  upon  your  ear,  I'll  tell 
you  this  :  I'm  thankful  above  measure  she's  flung  you 
over.  'Tis  the  greatest  escape  of  your  life,  and  a 
blessing  in  disguise  —  for  more  reasons  than  you 
know,  or  ever  will.  And  as  for  him  that's  done  it, 
nought  that  you  can  wish  him  be  likely  to  turn  out 
much  worse  than  what  he'll  get  if  he  marries  that 
woman." 

"  Shouldn't  I  know  if  'twas  another  man  ?  She 
was  friendly  and  frank  with  all.  She  hadn't  a  secret 
from  me.  'Twas  only  my  own  blind  jealousy  made  me 
think  twice  about  it  when  she  talked  with  other  men." 

"  But  she  did  talk  with  'em  and  you  did  think 
twice  ?  And  you  didn't  like  it  ?  And  you  quarrelled 
—  eh?  And  that  was  the  sense  in  you  —  the  sense 
trying  to  lift  you  above  the  blind  instinct  you'd  got 
for  her.  Would  you  have  quarrelled  for  nothing  ? 
Are  you  that  sort  ?  Too  fond  of  taking  affronts  and 
offering  the  other  cheek,  you  are  —  like  I  was  once. 
You  can't  blind  me.  You've  suffered  at  her  hands 
already,  and  spoken,  and  this  is  her  slap  back  at  you. 
No  need  to  drag  me  in  at  all  then  ;  though  I  did  give 
her  raw  sense  for  her  dinner  when  she  came  to  see 
me.  Look  further  on  than  your  father  for  the  mean- 
ing of  this  letter.  Look  to  yourself  first,  and  if  that 
don't  throw  light,  look  afield." 

"There's  none  —  none  more  than  another  —  I'll 
swear  it." 

^  Sloked — enticed  and  tempted. 


156  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

"  Seek  a  man  with  money  and  with  a  face  like  a  bar- 
ber's image  and  not  over-much  sense.  That's  the  sort 
will  win  her ;  and  that's  the  sort  will  suit  her.  And 
now  I've  done." 

They  walked  together  and  said  the  same  things  over 
and  over  again,  as  people  are  prone  to  do  in  argument. 
Then  they  separated  in  heat,  for  the  father  lost  patience 
and  again  declared  his  pleasure  at  this  accident. 

Whereon  Mark  cried  out  against  him  for  a  callous 
and  brutal  spirit,  and  so  left  him,  and  turned  blindly 
homeward.  He  did  not  know  what  to  do  or  how  to 
fight  this  great  tribulation.  He  could  not  believe  it. 
He  came  back  to  Hawk  House  at  last  and  found  him- 
self in  an  angle  of  the  dwelling,  out  of  the  wind. 

Here  reigned  artificial  silence  and  peace.  The  great 
gale  roared  overhead  ;  but  beneath,  in  this  nook,  not  a 
straw  stirred.  He  stood  and  stared  at  his  fallen  hopes 
and  ruined  plans ;  while  from  a  dry  spot  beside  the 
wall,  there  came  to  him  the  sweet,  sleepy  chirruping  of 
chickens  that  cuddled  together  under  their  mother's 
wings. 


CHAPTER   XIV 

WHILE  the  desolation  of  Mark  Baskerville  came 
to  be  learnt,  and  some  sympathised  with  him 
and  some  held  that  Cora  Lintern  had  showed 
a  very  proper  spirit  to  refuse  a  man  cursed  with  such  a 
father,  lesser  trouble  haunted  Cadworthy  Farm,  for  the 
parent  of  Rupert  Baskerville  declared  himself  to  be 
suffering  from  a  great  grievance. 

Vivian  was  an  obstinate  man  and  would  not  yield  to 
his  son's  demand ;  but  the  situation  rapidly  reached  a 
climax,  for  Rupert  would  not  yield  either. 

Night  was  the  farmer's  time  for  long  discussions  with 
his  wife ;  and  there  came  a  moment  when  he  faced  the 
present  crisis  with  her  and  strove  for  some  solution  of 
the  difficulty. 

"  Unray  yourself  and  turn  out  the  light  and  come 
to  bed,"  he  said  to  Mrs.  Baskerville.  He  already  lay 
in  their  great  four-poster,  and,  solid  though  the  mon- 
ster was,  it  creaked  when  Vivian's  immense  bulk  turned 
upon  it. 

His  wife  soon  joined  him  and  then  he  began  to  talk. 
He  prided  himself  especially  on  his  reasonableness, 
after  the  fashion  of  unreasonable  men. 

"  It  can't  go  on  and  it  shan't,"  he  said.  "  Never 
was  heard  such  a  thing  as  a  son  defying  his  father  this 
way.  If  he'd  only  given  the  girl  up,  then  I  should 
have  been  the  first  to  relax  authority  and  tell  him  he 
might  have  her  in  due  season  if  she  liked  to  wait.  But 
for  him  to  cleave  to  her  against  my  express  order  — 
'tis  a  very  improper  and  undutiful  thing  —  specially 
when  you  take  into  account  what  a  father  I've  been  to 
tlie  man." 

157 


158  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

"  And  he've  been  a  good  son,  too." 

"  And  why  not  ?  I  was  a  good  son  —  better  than 
ever  Rupert  was.  And  would  I  have  done  this  ?  I 
never  thought  of  marriage  till  my  parents  were  gone." 

"  Work  was  enough  for  you." 

"And  so  it  should  be  for  every  young  man.  But, 
nowadays,  they  think  of  nought  but  revels  and  outings 
and  the  girls.  A  poor,  slack- twisted  generation.  My 
arm  would  make  a  leg  for  any  youth  I  come  across 
nowadays." 

"  You  must  remember  you'm  a  wonder,  my  dear. 
We  can't  all  be  like  you." 

"  My  own  sons  ought  to  be,  anyway.  And  I've  a 
right  to  demand  it  of  'em." 

"  Rupert  works  as  hard  as  a  man  can  work  —  harder 
a  thousand  times  than  Ned." 

"  I  won't  have  you  name  'em  together,"  he  answered. 
"  A  man's  firstborn  is  always  a  bit  different  to  the  rest. 
Ned  is  more  given  to  reading  and  brain  work." 

She  laughed  fearlessly  and  he  snorted  like  a  bull 
beside  her. 

"  What  are  you  laughing  at  ?"  he  said. 

"  At  your  silliness.  Such  a  sharp  chap  and  so  wise 
as  you  are;  and  yet  our  handsome  eldest  — why,  he 
can't  do  wrong  !  And  Lord  knows  he  can't  do  wrong 
in  my  eyes  neither.     Still,  when  it  comes  to  work " 

"  We'll  leave  Ned,"  answered  the  father.  "  He  can 
work  all  right,  and  when  you've  seed  him  play  St. 
George  and  marked  his  intellects  and  power  of  speech, 
you'll  be  the  first  to  say  what  a  'mazing  deal  of  clever- 
ness be  hid  in  him.  His  mind's  above  the  land,  and 
why  not  ?  We  can't  all  be  farmers.  But  Rupert's  a 
born  farmer,  and  seeing  as  he  be  going  to  follow  my 
calling,  he  ought  to  follow  my  example  and  bide  a 
bachelor  for  a  good  ten  years  more." 

"  She's  a  nice  girl,  however." 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  159 

"  She  may  be,  or  she  may  not  be.  Anyway,  she's 
been  advising  him  to  go  away  from  home,  and  that's 
not  much  to  her  credit." 

"  She  loves  him  and  hates  for  him  to  be  here  so 
miserable." 

"  He'll  find  himself  a  mighty  sight  more  miserable 
away.  Don't  I  pay  him  good  money  ?  Ban't  he 
saving  and  prospering  ?  What  the  deuce  do  he  want 
to  put  a  wife  and  children  round  his  neck  for  till  he's 
learned  to  keep  his  own  head  above  water?" 

"  'Twas  Mr,  Luscombe's  man  that's  determined  him, 
I  do  think,"  declared  Hester  Baskerville.  "Jack 
Head  is  just  the  sort  to  unsettle  the  young,  with  his 
mischievous  ideas.  All  the  same,  I  wish  to  God  you 
could  meet  Rupert.  He's  a  dear  good  son,  and 
there's  lots  of  room,  and  for  my  part  I'd  love  to  see 
him  here  with  Milly.  'Tis  high  time  you  was  a  grand- 
father." 

"  You  foolish  women  !  Let  him  bide  his  turn  then. 
The  eldest  first,  I  say.  'Tis  quite  in  reason  that  Ned, 
with  his  fashion  of  mind,  should  take  a  wife.  I've 
nought  against  that " 

"You  silly  men!"  she  said.  "Ned!  Why,  what 
sensible  girl  will  look  at  such  a  Jack-o'-lantern  as  him 
—  bless  him!  He's  too  fond  of  all  the  girls  ever  to 
take  one.  And  if  he  don't  throw  them  over,  after  a 
bit  of  keeping  company,  they  throw  him  over.  If  you 
could  but  see  yourself  and  him  !  'Tis  as  good  as  play- 
acting !  '  There's  only  one  lazy  man  in  the  world  that 
your  husband  forgives  for  being  lazy,'  said  Jack  Head 
to  me  but  yesterday.  *  And  who  might  that  be?'  said 
I,  well  knowing.  '  Why,  Ned,  of  course,'  he  answers 
back." 

"  I  must  talk  to  Jack's  master.  A  lot  too  free  of 
speech  he's  getting — just  because  they  be  going  to  let 
him  perform  the  Bear  at  Christmas.      But,  when  all's 


i6o  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

said,  the  wise  man  makes  up  his  own  mind  ;  and  that 
have  been  my  habit  from  my  youth  up." 

"  You  think  so,"  she  answered. 

"  I  know  so.  And  Rupert  may  go.  He'll  soon 
come  back." 

"  Never,  master." 

"  He'll  come  back,  I  tell  you.  He'll  find  the  outer 
world  very  different  from  Cadworthy." 

"  I  wish  you'd  let  that  poor  boy,  Mark,  be  a  lesson 
to  you.  Your  love  story  ran  suent,  so  you  can't  think 
what  'tis  for  a  young  thing  to  be  crossed  where  the 
heart  is  set.  It  looks  a  small  matter  to  us,  as  have 
forgotten  the  fret  and  fever,  if  we  ever  felt  it,  but  to 
them  'tis  life  or  death." 

"  That's  all  moonshine  and  story-books.  And  my 
story  ran  suent  along  of  my  own  patience  and  good 
sense  —  no  other  reason.  And  I  may  tell  you  that 
Mark  have  took  the  blow  in  a  very  sensible  spirit.  I 
saw  my  brother  a  bit  ago  —  Nathan  I  mean.  He  was 
terrible  cut  up  for  both  of  'em,  being  as  soft  as  a 
woman  where  young  people  are  concerned.  But  he'd 
had  a  long  talk  with  Mark  and  found  him  perfectly 
patient  and  resigned  about  it." 

"The  helving^  cow  soonest  forgets  her  calf.  'Tis 
the  quiet  sort  that  don't  make  a  row  and  call  out  their 
misfortunes  in  every  ear,  that  feel  the  most.  It's  cut 
him  to  the  heart  and  gone  far  to  ruin  his  life  —  that's 
what  it's  done.  You  don't  want  to  have  your  son  in 
the  same  case  ?  " 

"  Rupert's  very  different  to  that.  'Tis  his  will 
against  mine,  and  if  he  disobeys,  he  must  stand  the 
brunt  and  see  what  life  be  like  without  me  behind 
him.  When  Nathan  went  for  a  sailor,  I  said  noth- 
ing. They  couldn't  all  bide  here,  and  'twas  a  manly 
calling.     But    Rupert  was    brought   up    to   take    my 

1  Bel-ving  —  bellowing. 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  i6i 

place,  owing  to  Ned's  superior  brain  power ;  and 
now  if  he's  going  to  fling  off  about  a  girl  and  defy 
me  —  well,  he  may  go;  but  they  laugh  best  who 
laugh  last.      He'll  suffer  for  it." 

"  I'm  much  feared  nought  we  can  do  will  change 
him.  That  girl  be  everything  to  him.  A  terrible 
pity,  too,  for  after  you,  I  never  knowed  a  man  so 
greedy  of  work.  '  Sundays  !  There  are  too  many 
Sundays,'  he  said  to  Ned  in  my  hearing  not  long 
since.  '  What  do  a  healthy  man  want  to  waste 
every  seventh  day  for  ? '  It  might  have  been  you 
talking." 

"  Not  at  all,"  answered  her  husband.  "  Very  far 
from  it.  That's  Jack  Head's  impious  opinion. 
Who  be  we  to  question  the  Lord's  ordaining  ? 
The  seventh's  the  Lord's,  and  I  don't  think  no 
better  of  Rupert  for  saying  that,  hard  though  it  may 
sometimes  be  to  keep  your  hands  in  your  pockets, 
especially  at  hay  harvest." 

"Well,  if  you  ban't  going  to  budge,  he'll  go." 

"Then  let  him  go  —  and  he  can  tell  the  people  that 
he  haven't  got  no  father  no  more,  for  that's  how  'twill 
be  if  he  does  go." 

"  Don't  you  say  that,  master." 

"  Why  for  not  ?  Truth's  truth.  And  now  us  will 
go  to  sleep,  if  you  please." 

Soon  his  mighty  snore  thundered  through  the  dark- 
ness ;  but  Mrs.  Baskerville  was  well  seasoned  to  the 
sound ;  and  thoughts  of  her  son,  not  the  noisy  repose 
of  her  husband,  banished  sleep. 

Others  had  debated  these  vexed  questions  of  late, 
and  the  dark,  short  days  were  made  darker  for  certain 
sympathetic  people  by  the  troubles  of  Mark  and  the 
anxieties  of  his  cousin,  Rupert. 

Nathan    Baskerville    discussed    the    situation    with 


i62  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

Mrs.  Lintern  a  week  before  the  great  production 
of  '  St.  George.'  Matters  had  now  advanced  and 
the  situation  was  developed. 

"  That  old  fool,  Gollop  !  "  he  said.  "  He  goeth 
now  as  if  the  eye  of  the  world  was  on  him.  You'd 
think  Shaugh  Prior  was  the  hub  of  the  universe,  as 
the  Yankees  say,  and  that  Thomas  was  the  lynch-pin 
of  the  wheel !  " 

"  He's  found  time  to  see  which  way  the  cat's  jump- 
ing, all  the  same,"  answered  Mrs.  Lintern.  "  Full  of 
Ned  Baskerville  and  our  Cora  now  !  Says  that  'tis  a 
case  and  everybody  knows  it." 

Nathan  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"Yes  —  well,  these  things  can't  be  arranged  for 
them.  The  young  must  go  their  own  road.  A 
splendid  couple  they  make  without  a  doubt.  They'll 
look  magnificent  in  their  finery  at  the  revel.  But  I 
wish  nephew  Ned  wasn't  quite  so  vain  of  his  good 
parts." 

Cora  herself  entered  at  this  moment,  and  had  that 
to  say  which  awoke  no  small  interest  in  her  mother. 

"  I've  fallen  in  with  Mark,"  she  said;  "and  I  was 
passing,  but  he  spoke  and  'tis  all  well,  I  believe.  He 
was  very  quiet  and  you  might  almost  say  cheerful." 

"  Thank  the  Lord  he's  got  over  it  then,"  answered 
Nathan  ;  but  Mrs.  Lintern  doubted. 

"  Don't  feel  too  sure  of  that.  He  ban't  one  to  wear 
his  heart  on  his  sleeve,  anyway." 

"  He's  took  it  surprising  well,  everybody  says,"  said 
Cora,  in  a  voice  that  made  the  innkeeper  laugh. 

"Poor  Mark!  —  but  I  see  Cora  here  isn't  too 
pleased  that  he's  weathered  the  storm  so  easily. 
She'd  have  liked  him  to  be  a  bit  more  down  in 
the  mouth." 

"I'm  very  pleased  indeed,"  she  answered.  "You 
never  gave  better  advice  than  when  you  bade  me  write 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  163 

to  him.  The  truth  is  that  he's  not  made  to  marry. 
Tenor  bell  be  enough  wife  for  him." 

"  I  wonder  who'll  ring  it  when  you're  wedded," 
mused  Nathan.  "  No  man  have  touched  that  bell 
since  my  nephew  took  it  up." 

"Time  enough.  Not  that  he'd  mind  ringing  for 
me,  I  believe.  Such  a  bloodless  thing  as  he  is  really 
—  no  fight  in  him  at  all  seemingly." 

"  If  you  talk  like  that  we  shall  begin  to  think 
you're  sorry  he  took  you  at  your  word,"  said  Mr. 
Baskerville ;  but  Cora  protested ;  and  when  he  had 
gone,  she  spoke  more  openly  to  her  mother. 

"  'Tis  a  very  merciful  escape  for  me,  and  perhaps 
for  him.  I  didn't  understand  my  own  mind ;  and 
since  he's  took  it  so  wonderful  cool,  I  guess  he  didn't 
know  his  mind  either." 

"You  haven't  heard  the  last  of  him.  I've  met  the 
like.  For  my  part  I'd  rather  hear  he  v/as  daft  and 
frantic  than  so  calm  and  reasonable.  'Tis  the  sort 
that  keep  their  trouble  out  of  sight  suffer  most." 

"  I'd  have  forgiven  him  everything  but  being  a 
coward,"  declared  Cora  fiercely.  "  What's  the  use 
of  a  man  that  goes  under  the  thumb  of  his  father  ? 
If  he'd  said  '  I  hate  my  father,  and  I'll  never  see  him 
again,  and  we'll  run  away  and  be  married  and  teach 
him  a  lesson,'  then  I'd  have  respected  him.  But  not 
a  bit  of  it.  And  to  take  what  I  wrote  like  that ! 
Not  even  to  try  and  make  me  think  better  of  it.  A 
very  poor-spirited  chap." 

Mrs.  Lintern  smiled,  not  at  the  picture  of  Mark's 
sorrows,  but  at  her  daughter's  suggestion,  that  she 
would  have  run  away  with  the  young  man  and  mar- 
ried him  and  defied  consequences. 

"  How  we  fool  ourselves,"  she  said.  "You  think 
you  would  have  run  with  him.  You  wouldn't  have 
run  a   yard,  Cora.     The   moment   you   found  things 


i64  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

was  contrary  with  his  father,  you  was  off  him  —  why  ? 
Because  your  first  thought  always  is,  and  always  has 
been,  the  main  chance.  You  meant  to  marry  him  for 
his  money  —  you  and  me  know  that  very  well,  if 
none  else  does." 

The  daughter  showed  no  concern  at  this  attack. 

"  I  shan't  marry  a  pauper,  certainly.  My  face  is 
all  the  fortune  you  seem  like  to  give  me,  and  I'm  not 
going  to  fling  it  away  for  nought.  I  do  set  store  by 
money,  and  I  do  long  to  have  some ;  and  so  do  every 
other  woman  in  her  senses.  The  only  difference  be- 
tween me  and  others  is  that  they  pretend  money  ban't 
everything,  and  I  say  it  is,  and  don't  pretend  different." 

"  Milly  Luscombe  be  going  to  stick  to  Rupert  Bas- 
kerville,  however,  though  'tis  said  his  father  will  cut 
him  off  with  a  shilling  if  he  leaves  Cadworthy." 

Cora  sniffed. 

"  There'll  be  so  much  the  more  for  the  others  then. 
They  Baskerville  fathers  always  seem  to  stand  in  the 
way  of  their  sons  when  it  comes  to  marrying.  Mr. 
Nathan  would  have  been  different  if  he'd  had  a  family. 
He  understands  the  young  generation.  Not  that 
Vivian  Baskerville  will  object  to  Ned  marrying,  for 
Ned  told  me  so." 

"  No  doubt  he'll  be  glad  for  Ned  to  be  prevented 
from  making  a  fool  of  himself  any  more." 

Mrs.  Lintern's  daughter  flushed. 

"  He's  long  ways  off  a  fool,"  she  said.  "  He  ban't 
the  man  who  comes  all  through  the  wood  and  brings 
out  a  crooked  stick  after  all.  He  knows  what  women 
are  very  well." 

"  Yes  ;  and  I  suppose  Mr.  Waite  knows  too  ?  " 

"  He's  different  to  Ned  Baskerville.  More  cau- 
tious like  and  prouder.  I'd  sooner  have  Ned's 
vanity  than  t'other's  pride.  What  did  he  want  to  be  up 
here  talking  with  you  for?  —  Timothy  Waite  I  mean." 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  165 

"  No  matter." 

"  'Twasn't  farming,  anyway  ?  " 

"  Might  have  been,  or  might  not.  But,  mark  this, 
he's  a  very  shrewd,  sensible  young  man  and  knows 
his  business,  and  how  to  work,  and  the  value  of 
money,  and  what  it  takes  to  save  money.  He'll 
wear  well  —  for  all  you  toss  your  head." 

"  He's  a  very  good  chap.  I've  got  nothing  against 
him  ;  but " 

"  But  t'other  suits  you  better  ?  Well,  have  a  care. 
Don't  be  in  no  hurry.  Get  to  know  a  bit  more  about 
him  ;  and  be  decent,  Cora.  'Twouldn't  be  decent  by 
no  means  to  pick  up  with  him  while  everybody  knows 
you've  just  jilted  his  cousin." 

"  Didn't  do  no  such  thing.  I've  got  my  side  and 
'tisn't  over-kind  in  you  to  use  such  a  word  as  that," 
answered  her  daughter  sharply.  "  However,  you  never 
did  have  no  sympathy  with  me,  and  I  can't  look  for  it. 
I'll  go  my  way  all  the  same,  and  if  some  fine  day  I'm 
up  in  the  world,  I'll  treat  you  better  than  you've  treated 
me." 

But  Mrs.  Lintern  was  not  impressed  by  these  senti- 
ments.    She  knew  her  daughter's  heart  sufficiently  well. 

"  'Twill  be  a  pair  of  you  if  you  take  Ned  Basker- 
ville,"  she  said.  "And  you  needn't  pretend  to  be 
angered  with  me.  You  can't  help  being  what  you  are. 
I'm  not  chiding  you  ;  I'm  only  reminding  you  that  you 
must  be  seemly  and  give  t'other  matter  time  to  be  for- 
got. You  owe  the  other  man  something,  if  'tis  only 
respect  —  Mark,  I  mean." 

"  He'll  be  comforted  mighty  quick,"  answered  Cora. 
"  Perhaps  he'll  let  his  father  choose  the  next  for  him  ; 
then  'twill  work  easier  and  everybody  will  be  pleased. 
As  for  me,  I'm  in  no  hurry  ;  and  you  needn't  drag  in 
Ned's  name,  for  he  haven't  axed  me  yet  and  very  like 
he'd  get  '  no  '  for  his  answer  if  he  did." 


1 66  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

Mrs.  Lintern  prepared  to  depart  and  Cora  spoke 
again. 

"  And  as  for  Mark,  he's  all  right  and  up  for  any- 
thing. He  chatted  free  and  friendly  about  the  play  and 
the  dresses  we're  going  to  wear.  He's  to  be  prompter 
on  the  night  and  'tis  settled  that  the  schoolmaster  from 
Bickleigh  be  going  to  be  Doctor,  because  there's  none 
in  this  parish  will  do  it.  And  Mark  says  that  after  the 
play's  over,  he  shall  very  like  do  the  same  as  Rupert 
and  leave  home." 

"He  said  that?" 

"  Yes ;  and  I  said,  *  None  can  ring  tenor  bell  like 
you,  I'm  sure.'  Then  he  looked  at  me  as  if  he  could 
have  said  a  lot,  but  he  didn't." 

"  I  hope  he  will  go  and  see  a  bit  of  the  world.  'Twill 
help  him  to  forget  you,"  said  her  mother. 

"  Ned's  the  only  one  of  'em  knows  the  world,"  an- 
swered Cora.  "  He's  travelled  about  a  bit  and  'tis 
natural  that  his  father  should  put  him  before  all  the 
others  and  see  his  sense  and  learning.  When  parson's 
voice  gave  out,  Ned  read  the  lessons  —  that  Sunday 
you  was  from  home  —  and  nobody  ever  did  it  better. 
He's  a  very  clever  man,  in  fact,  and  his  father  knows 
it,  and  when  his  father  dies,  the  will  is  going  to  show 
what  his  father  thinks  of  him." 

"  He's  told  you  so,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  Ned  has,  yes.  He  knows  I'm  one  of  the  business- 
like sort.  I'd  leap  the  hatch  to-morrow  if  a  proper 
rich  man  came  along  and  asked  me  to." 

*' Remember  you're  not  the  first  —  that's  all,"  said 
her  mother.  "  If  you  take  him  and  he  changes  his 
mind  and  serves  you  like  he's  served  another  here  and 
there,  you'll  have  a  very  unquiet  time  of  it,  and  look  a 
very  big  fool." 

"  'Twas  all  nonsense  and  lies,"  she  answered.  "  He 
made  the  truth  clear  to  me.     He  never  took  either  of 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  167 

them  girls.  They  wasn't  nice  maidens  and  they  rushed 
him  into  it  —  or  thought  they  had.  He's  never  loved 
any  woman  until " 

Cora  broke  off. 

"  Shan't  tell  you  no  more,"  she  continued.  "  'Tis 
no  odds  to  you  —  you  don't  care  a  button  —  and  I 
shall  soon  be  out  of  your  house,  anyhow." 

"  Perhaps  ;  but  I  shall  be  a  thought  sorry  for  all 
them  at  Cadworthy  Farm  if  you  take  Ned  and  set 
up  wife  along  with  his  family,"  answered  her  mother. 
"  Hard  as  a  cris-hawk  ^  you  be  ;  and  you'll  have  'em 
all  by  the  ears  so  sure  as  ever  you  go  there." 

"  You  ax  Mrs.  Hester  Baskerville  if  I  be  hard,"  re- 
torted Cora.  "  She'll  tell  that  I'm  gentle  as  a  wood- 
dove.  I  don't  show  my  claws  without  there's  a  good 
reason  for  it.  And  never,  unless  there  is.  Anyway, 
I'm  a  girl  that's  got  to  fight  my  own  battles,  since  you 
take  very  good  care  not  to  do  a  mother's  part  and  help 
me." 

"  You  shall  have  the  last  word,"  answered  Mrs. 
Lintern. 

1  Cris-iaivk  —  kestrel. 


CHAPTER   XV 

SOME  weeks  after  Christmas  had  passed,  Mr. 
Joseph  Voysey  and  others  met  at  '  The  White 
Thorn  '  and  played  chorus  to  affairs  according  to 
their  custom.  The  great  subject  of  discussion  was  still 
the  play.  It  had  been  enacted  twice  to  different  audi- 
ences, and  it  proved  but  an  indifferent  success.  Every- 
body agreed  that  the  entertainment  promised  better 
than  its  ultimate  performance.  At  rehearsal  all  went 
well ;  upon  the  night  of  the  display  a  thousand  mishaps 
combined  to  lessen  its  effect. 

Joe  Voysey  summed  up  to  Thomas  Gollop,  who  sat 
and  drank  with  him. 

"  What  with  us  all  being  so  busy  about  Christmas, 
and  the  weather,  and  Nathan  here  getting  a  cold  on  his 
chest  and  only  being  able  to  croak  like  a  frog,  and  par- 
son losing  his  temper  with  Head  at  the  last  rehearsal, 
and  other  things,  it  certainly  failed.  'Tis  a  case  of 
least  said  soonest  mended  ;  but  I'm  keeping  this  mask 
of  the  French  Eagle  what  I  wore,  for  it  makes  a  very 
pretty  ornament  hanged  over  my  parlour  mantelshelf." 

"In  my  judgment,"  declared  Nathan,  "'twas  Jack 
Head  that  played  the  mischief  with  the  show.  After 
parson  cooled  him  down  at  rehearsal,  I  allow  he  went 
a  bit  lighter  on  his  part  and  didn't  act  quite  so  forcible, 
but  well  I  knew  he  was  saving  it  up  for  the  night ;  and 
so  he  was.  'Twas  all  Jack  all  the  time,  and  even  when 
he  was  supposed  to  be  dead,  he  must  still  keep  growl- 
ing to  make  the  people  laugh.  He's  had  a  right  down 
row  with  Mr.  Masterman  since." 

1 68 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  169 

"  A  make-strife  sort  of  man  ;  and  yet  a  cheerful  man  ; 
and  yet,  again,  a  very  rebellious  man  against  the 
powers,"  said  Voysey. 

*'  Well,  'tis  over  and  it  shows,  like  everything  else 
do,  how  much  may  grow  out  of  little,"  added  Nathan. 
"  Just  a  bit  of  fun  at  Christmas,  you'd  say,  wouldn't 
leave  no  very  great  mark,  yet  —  look  at  it  —  how  far- 
reaching." 

"  It's  brought  the  eyes  of  the  county  on  us,  as  I  said 
it  would,"  replied  the  parish  clerk.  "The  Rural  Dean 
was  here  afterwards  and  took  his  luncheon  at  the  vicar- 
age and  came  to  the  church  to  see  the  font-cover ;  but 
Nancy  Mumford  —  maiden  to  the  vicarage  —  waits  at 
table,  and  she  told  my  sister  that  his  reverence  said  to 
Mr.  Masterman  that  we'd  fallen  between  two  stools 
and  that  the  performance  was  a  sort  of  a  mongrel  be- 
tween a  modern  pantomime  and  the  old  miracle  play, 
and  that  the  masks  and  such-like  were  out  of  order. 
And  Miss  Masterman  was  a  bit  acid  with  the  Rural 
Dean  and  said,  to  his  face,  that  if  he'd  only  had  to  see 
the  thing  through,  as  they  had,  she  was  sure  that  he'd 
be  more  charitable  like  about  it." 

"  Us  shan't  have  no  more  play-acting,  mark  me," 
foretold  Joe  Voysey ;  then  others  entered  the  bar, 
among  them  being  Saul  Luscombe  from  Trowlesworthy 
and  Heathman  Lintern.  The  warrener  was  on  his  way 
home  and  stayed  only  for  a  pint  and  a  few  friendly 
words. 

"You  should  hear  Jack  Head  tell  about  the  play," 
he  said. 

"  And  he  should  hear  us  tell  about  him,"  answered 
Voysey.  "Jack,  so  near  as  damn  it,  spoilt  the  play. 
In  fact,  innkeeper  here  thinks  he  did  do  so." 

"  He  vows  that  he  saved  the  whole  job  from  being 
a  hugeous  failure.  And  young  farmer  Waite  swears 
'twas  Miss  Lintern  as  the  Princess  that  saved  it ;  and 


170  THE    THREE    BROTHERS 

Mr.  Ned,  your  nephew,  Nathan  —  he  swears  'twas 
himself  that  saved  it." 

"  And  I  think  'twas  I  that  saved  it,"  declared 
Thomas.  "  However,  enough  said.  'Tis  of  the  past 
and  will  soon  be  forgot,  like  a  dead  man  out  of  mind." 

"  That's  where  you're  wrong,  Tom,"  said  Heathman. 
"You  can't  forget  a  thing  so  easy.  Besides,  there's  all 
that  hangs  to  it.  There's  Polly  Baskerville,  that  was 
one  of  Cora's  maidens  in  the  play,  got  engaged  to  be 
married  on  the  strength  of  it  —  to  Nick  Bassett  —  him 
as  waited  on  the  Turkish  Knight.  And  now  —  bigger 
news  still  for  me  and  mine.  Cora's  taken  Ned  Basker- 
ville ! " 

"  I  knew  it  was  going  to  happen,"  admitted  Nathan. 
"  'Tis  a  very  delicate  thing,  for  she's  only  broken  with 
the  man's  cousin  a  matter  of  a  few  months.  Her 
mother  asked  me  about  it  a  bit  ago." 

"  You've  got  to  remember  this,"  said  Heathman. 
"  I  should  have  been  the  first  to  make  a  row  —  me 
being  Cora's  only  brother  and  the  only  man  responsi- 
ble to  look  after  her.  I  say  I  should  have  been  the 
first  to  make  a  row,  for  I  was  terrible  savage  with  her 
and  thought  it  hard  for  her  to  throw  over  Mark,  just 
because  his  father  was  an  old  carmudgeon.  But  seeing 
how  Mark  took  it  " 

"  To  the  eye,  I  grant  you  that ;  but  these  quiet 
chaps  as  hide  their  feelings  often  feel  a  lot  more  than 
they  show,"  said  Mr.  Luscombe. 

"  He  was  hard  hit,  and  well  I  know  it,  for  his  father 
told  me  so,"  continued  Nathan  Baskerville.  "  My 
brother,  Humphrey,  in  a  sort  of  way,  blamed  me  and 
Mrs.  Lintern,  and,  in  fact,  everybody  but  himself. 
One  minute  he  said  that  Mark  was  well  out  of  it,  and 
the  next  he  got  to  be  very  jealous  for  Mark  and  told 
me  that  people  were  caballing  against  his  son.  I  go 
in  fear  of  meeting  my  brother  now,  for  when  he  hears 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  171 

that  Cora  Lintern  Is  going  to  take  Ned  Baskerville, 
he'll  think  'twas  all  a  plot  and  he'll  rage  on  Mark's 
account." 

"  'Tis  Mark  that  I  fear  for,"  said  Heathman ;  then 
Gollop  suddenly  stopped  him. 

"  Hush  !  "  he  cried,  and  held  up  his  hand.  After  a 
brief  silence,  however,  he  begged  young  Lintern  to 
proceed. 

"  Beg  your  pardon,"  he  said.  "  I  thought  I  heard 
something." 

"  I  fear  for  Mark,"  continued  the  other,  "because  I 
happen  to  know  that  he  still  secretly  hoped  a  bit.  I 
don't  like  my  sister  Cora  none  too  Vv^ell,  and  I  reckon 
Mark's  worth  a  million  of  her,  and  I  told  him  I  was 
glad  to  see  him  so  cheerful  about  it.  *  You'm  very 
wise  to  keep  up  your  pecker,  Mark,'  I  said  to  the 
man  ;  '  because  she'm  not  your  sort  really.  I  know 
her  better  than  you  do  and  can  testify  to  it.'  But  he 
said  I  mustn't  talk  so,  and  he  told  me,  very  private, 
that  he  hadn't  gived  up  all  hope.  Poor  chap,  I  can 
let  it  out  now,  for  he  knows  'tis  all  over  now.  '  While 
she's  free,  there's  a  chance,'  he  told  me.  '  I  won't 
never  think,'  he  said,  '  that  all  that's  passed  between 
us  is  to  be  blown  away  at  a  breath  of  trouble  like  this.' 
That's  how  he  put  it,  and  I  could  see  by  the  hollow, 
wisht  state  of  his  eyes  and  his  nerves  all  ajolt,  that 
he'd  been  through  a  terrible  lot." 

"  He'd  built  on  her  coming  round,  poor  fellow  — 
eh  ?  That's  why  he  put  such  a  brave  face  on  it  then," 
murmured  Nathan. 

Then  Voysey  spoke  again. 

"  As  it  happens,  I  can  tell  you  the  latest  thing  about 
him,"  he  said.  "  I  was  to  work  two  days  agone  'pon 
the  edge  of  our  garden,  doing  nought  in  particular  be- 
cause the  frost  was  got  in  the  ground  and  you  couldn't 
put  a  spade  in.      But  I  was  busy  as  a  bee  according  to 


172  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

my  wont  —  tying  up  pea-sticks  I  think  'twas,  or  setting 
a  rat-trap,  or  some  such  thing  —  when  who  should 
pass  down  t'other  side  of  the  hedge  but  Mark  Basker- 
ville  ?  Us  fell  into  talk  about  the  play,  and  I  took 
him  down  to  my  house  to  show  him  where  my  grand- 
darter  had  stuck  the  mask  what  made  me  into  the 
French  Eagle.  Then  I  said  there  were  changes  in  the 
air,  and  he  said  so  too.  I  remarked  as  Rupert  Basker- 
ville  had  left  Cadworthy  and  gone  to  work  at  the  Lee 
Moor  china  clay,  and  he  said  '  Yes  ;  and  I  be  going 
too.'  '  Never  ! '  I  said.  '  What'll  Mr.  Humphrey  do 
without  you?'  But  he  didn't  know  or  care.  *  Who 
ever  will  ring  your  bell  when  you're  gone  ? '  I  asked 
him,  and " 

Thomas  Gollop  again  interrupted. 

"  'Tis  a  terrible  queer  thing  you  should  name  the 
bell,  Joe,"  he  said,  "for  I'll  take  my  oath  somebody's 
ringing  it  now!  " 

"Ringing  the  bell!  What  be  talking  of?"  asked 
Heathman.     "  Why,  'tis  hard  on  ten  o'clock." 

"Yet  I'm  right." 

At  this  moment  Saul  Luscombe,  who  had  set  out  a 
minute  sooner,  returned. 

"  Who's  ago  ?  "  he  asked.     "  The  bell's  tolling." 

They  crowded  to  the  door,  stood  under  the  clear 
stillness  of  night,  and  heard  the  bell.  At  intervals  of 
a  minute  the  deep,  sonorous  note  throbbed  from  aloft 
where  the  church  tower  rose  against  the  stars. 

"  There's  nobody  sick  to  death  that  I  know  about," 
said  Nathan.  "'Twill  be  Mark  ringing,  no  doubt. 
None  touches  tenor  bell  but  him." 

Mr.  Luscombe  remounted  his  pony. 

"  Cold  bites  shrewd  after  your  bar,  Nathan.  Good 
night,  souls.      Us  shall  hear  who  'tis  to-morrow." 

The  bell  tolled  thrice  more  ;  then  it  stopped. 

"  Bide  a  minute    and    I'll    come    back,"    said  Mr. 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  173 

Gollop.  "  I  can't  sleep  this  night  without  knowing 
who  'tis.  A  very  terrible  sudden  seizure,  for  certain. 
Eliza  may  know." 

He  crossed  the  road  and  entered  his  own  house, 
which  stood  against  the  churchyard  wall.  They 
waited  and  he  returned  in  a  minute. 

"  She  knows  nought,"  he  said.  "  Mark  dropped  in 
a  little  bit  ago  and  axed  for  the  key.  *  What  do  'e 
want  in  belfry  now,  Mr.  Baskerville  ? '  she  axed  him. 
*  Passing  bell,'  he  said ;  and  Eliza  was  all  agog,  of 
course,  for  'twas  the  first  she'd  heard  of  it.  '  What's 
the  name  ?  '  she  said ;  but  he  answered  nought  and 
went  down  the  steps  and  away.  A  minute  after  the 
bell  began." 

"  'Tis  over  now,  anyway.  I'll  step  across  and  meet 
Mark,"  said  Mr.  Baskerville. 

One  or  two  others  accompanied  him  ;  but  there  was 
no  sign  of  the  ringer.  Then,  led  by  Gollop,  they  en- 
tered the  silent  church  and  shouted. 

"  Where  be  you,  Mark  Baskerville,  and  who's 
dead  ?  "  cried  Gollop. 

In  the  belfry  profound  silence  reigned,  and  the  ropes 
hanging  from  their  places  above,  touched  the  men  as 
they  groped  in  the  darkness. 

"  He's  gone,  anyway,"  declared  Nathan.  Then 
suddenly  a  man's  boot  rubbed  against  his  face.  The 
impact  moved  it  a  moment ;  but  it  swung  back  heavily 
again. 

The  innkeeper  yelled  aloud,  while  Gollop  fetched 
a  lantern  and  lighted  it.  Then  they  found  that  Mark 
Baskerville  had  fastened  a  length  of  stout  cord  to  the 
great  rope  of  the  tenor  bell  at  twenty  feet  above  the 
floor.  He  had  mounted  a  ladder,  drawn  a  tight  loop 
round  his  neck,  jumped  into  the  air,  and  so  destroyed 
himself. 


CHAPTER   XVI 

CERTAIN  human  dust  lay  in  a  place  set  apart 
from  the  main  churchyard  of  St.  Edward's. 
Here  newborn  babies,  that  had  perished  before 
admission  into  the  Christian  faith,  were  buried,  be- 
cause the  ministers  of  the  church  felt  doubtful  as  to 
the  salving  of  these  unbaptised  ones  in  another  world. 
The  spot  was  known  as  '  Chrisomers'  Hill,*  a  name 
descended  from  ancient  use.  By  chrisom-cloths  were 
first  understood  the  anointed  white  garments  put  upon 
babes  at  baptism  ;  and  afterwards  they  came  to  mean 
the  robes  of  the  newly-baptised.  Infants  were  also 
shrouded  in  them  if  they  perished  a  month  after  bap- 
tism ;  while  a  chrisom-child,  or  chrisomer,  signified 
one  who  thus  untimely  died. 

Among  these  fallen  buds  the  late  vicar  of  the  parish 
had  also  buried  a  woman  who  took  her  own  life ;  and 
Thomas  Gollop,  nothing  doubting  but  that  here,  and 
only  here,  the  body  of  Mark  Baskerville  might  de- 
cently be  laid,  took  it  upon  himself  to  dig  the  grave 
on  Chrisomers'  Hill.  But  the  ground  was  very  hard 
and  Thomas  no  longer  possessed  his  old-time  strength 
of  arm.  Therefore  a  young  man  helped  him,  and 
during  the  intervals  of  labour,  the  elder  related  in- 
cidents connected  with  past  interments.  Some  be- 
longed to  his  own  recollection  ;  others  had  been  handed 
down  by  his  father. 

"And  touching  these  childer  took  off  afore  the  holy 
water  saved  'em,  my  parent  held  the  old  story  of  the 
Heath  Hounds,"  concluded  Thomas.  "  And  there 
might  be  more  in  it  than  us  later-day  mortals  have  a 

174 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  175 

right  to  deny.  For  my  father  solemnly  swore  that 
he'd  heard  'em  in  winter  gloamings  hurrying  through 
the  air,  for  all  the  world  like  a  flock  of  night-flying 
birds,  and  barking  like  good-uns  in  full  cry  after  the 
Dowl.  'Tis  Satan  that  keeps  'em  out  of  the  joys  of 
Paradise ;  but  only  for  a  time,  you  must  know,  be- 
cause these  here  babbies  never  done  a  stroke  of  wrong, 
being  too  young  for  it;  and  therefore,  in  right  and 
reason,  they  will  be  catched  up  into  Heaven  at  the 
last." 

"  But  no  doubt  'tis  difl^erent  if  a  human  takes  their 
own  life,"  said  the  young  man. 

"  Diff^erent  altogether,"  declared  Mr.  Gollop.  "  To 
take  your  own  life  be  to  go  to  a  party  afore  you'm 
invited  —  a  very  presumpshuss  and  pushing  thing,  to 
say  the  least.  No  charity  will  cover  it.  For  argument's 
sake,  we'll  say  as  I  cut  my  throat,  and  then  I  stand  afore 
the  Throne  of  Grace  so  soon  as  the  life  be  out  ofme.  *  Who 
be  you  ? '  says  the  A'mighty.  '  Thomas  Gollop,  your 
Reverence,'  says  I.  Then  they  fetch  the  Books  and  it 
all  comes  out  that  I've  took  the  law  of  life  into  my  own 
hands  and  upset  the  record  and  made  a  far-reaching  mess 
of  everything ;  because  you  must  know  you  can't  live 
to  yourself  alone,  and  if  you  lay  hands  on  your  body, 
you  be  upsetting  other  lives  beside  your  own,  and  mak- 
ing trouble  in  the  next  world  so  well  as  this.  So  down 
I  go  to  the  bad  place  —  and  very  well  I  should  deserve  it. 
I  can't  be  sure  of  Masterman,  but  he'll  hardly  have  the 
face  to  treat  this  rash  corpse  like  a  God-fearing  creature, 
I  should  hope.     The  parish  will  ring  with  it  if  he  do." 

"  Crowner's  sitting  now  over  to*  The  White  Thorn,*  " 
said  Tom's  assistant. 

"Yes  ;  and  since  Jack  Head's  'pon  the  jury,  there'll 
be  no  paltering  with  truth.  I  hate  the  man  and  have 
little  good  to  say  of  him  as  a  general  thing  ;  but  there's 
no  nonsense  to  him,  and  though  he's  oftener  wrong  than 


176  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

any  chap  I  know,  he  won't  be  wrong  to-day,  for  he  told 
me  nought  would  shake  him.  'Tis  the  feeble-minded 
fashion  to  say  that  them  that  kill  themselves  be  daft. 
They  always  bring  it  in  so.  Why  ?  Because  the  dust 
shall  cheat  justice  and  get  so  good  Christian  burial  as  the 
best  among  us.  But  Head  won't  have  that.  He's  all 
for  bringing  it  in  naked  suicide  without  any  truckling 
or  hedging.  The  young  man  was  sane  as  me,  and  took 
his  life  with  malice  aforethought ;  and  so  he  must  lie 
'pon  Chrisomers'  Hill  with  the  doubtfuls,  not  along 
with  the  certainties." 

As  he  spoke  somebody  approached,  and  Nathan  Bas- 
kerville,  clad  in  black,  stood  beside  them. 

"  I  want  you,  Gollop,"  he  said.  "  Who  are  you 
digging  for  here?  'Tis  long  since  Chrisomers'  Hill 
was  opened." 

"  For  Mark  Baskerville,"  answered  the  sexton  stoutly. 
"  'Tis  here  he's  earned  his  place,  and  here  he'll  lie  if  I'm 
anybody." 

Nathan  regarded  Thomas  with  dislike. 

"  So  old  and  so  crooked-hearted  still ! "  he  said.  "  I'm 
glad  you've  had  your  trouble  for  your  pains,  for  you 
deserve  it.  Poor  Mark  is  to  be  buried  with  his  mother. 
You'd  better  see  about  it,  and  pretty  quick  too.  The 
funeral's  the  day  after  to-morrow." 

"  I'll  discourse  with  the  reverend  Masterman,"  an- 
swered Thomas;  "and  I'll  also  hear  what  the  coroner 
have  got  to  say." 

"  You're  a  nasty  old  man  sometimes,  Gollop,  and 
never  nastier  than  to-day.  As  to  Mr.  Masterman,  you 
ought  to  know  what  stuff  he's  made  of  by  this  time; 
and  as  for  the  inquest,  'tis  ended.  The  verdict  could 
only  be  one  thing,  and  we  decided  right  away." 

"  What  about  Jack  Head  ?  " 

"  Jack's  not  a  cross-grained  old  fool,  whatever  else  he 
may  be,"  answered  the  innkeeper.     "  I  convinced  him 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  177 

in  exactly  two  minutes  that  my  nephew  couldn't  have 
been  responsible  for  what  he  did.  And  everybody  but 
a  sour  and  bitter  man,  like  you,  must  have  known  it. 
Poor  Mark  is  thrown  over  by  a  girl  —  not  to  blame 
her,  either,  for  she  had  to  be  true  to  herself.  But  still 
he  won't  believe  that  she's  not  for  him,  though  she's 
put  it  plain  as  you  please  in  writing ;  and  he  goes  on 
hoping  and  dreaming  and  building  castles  in  the  air. 
Always  dreamy  and  queer  at  all  times  he  was  —  re- 
member that.  Then  comes  the  crashing  news  for  him 
that  all  is  over  and  the  maiden  has  taken  another  man. 
Wasn't  it  enough  to  upset  such  a  frail,  fanciful  creature  ? 
Enough,  and  more  than  enough.  He  hides  his  trouble 
and  his  brain  fails  and  his  heart  breaks  —  all  unseen  by 
any  eye.  And  then  what  happens  .?  He  rings  his  own 
passing-bell!  Was  that  the  work  of  a  sane  man  ?  Poor 
chap  —  poor  chap!  And  you'd  deny  him  Christian 
burial  and  cast  him  here,  like  a  dog,  with  the  poor  un- 
named children  down  under.  I  blush  for  you.  See  to 
his  mother's  grave  and  try  and  be  larger-hearted.  'Tis 
only  charity  to  suppose  the  bitter  cold  weather  be  cur- 
dling your  blood.  Now  I'm  off  to  my  brother  Hum- 
phrey, to  tell  him  what  there  is  to  tell." 

Then  Mr.  Nathan  buttoned  up  his  coat  and  turned 
to  the  grinning  labourer. 

"  Don't  laugh  at  him,"  he  said.  "  Be  sorry  for  him. 
'Tis  no  laughing  matter.  Fill  up  that  hole  and  take 
down  yonder  slate  at  the  far  end  of  the  Baskerville  row, 
and  put  everything  in  order.     Our  graves  be  all  brick." 

He  departed  and  Mr.  Gollop  walked  off  to  the 
vicarage. 

A  difficult  task  awaited  Nathan,  but  he  courted  it 
in  hope  of  future  advantage.  He  was  terribly  con- 
cerned for  his  brother  and  now  designed  to  visit  him. 
As  yet  Humphrey  had  seen  nobody. 


178  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

Vivian  had  called  at  Hawk  House  the  day  after 
Mark's  death,  but  Mrs.  Hacker  had  told  him  that  her 
master  was  out.  On  inquiries  as  to  his  state,  she  had 
merely  replied  that  he  was  not  ill.  He  had  directed 
that  his  son's  body  should  remain  at  the  church,  and 
he  had  not  visited  Shaugh  again  or  seen  the  dead  since 
the  night  that  Mark  perished. 

Now  Nathan,  secretly  hoping  that  some  better 
understanding  between  him  and  Humphrey  might 
arise  from  this  shattering  grief,  and  himself  suffering 
more  than  any  man  knew  from  the  shock  of  it,  hast- 
ened to  visit  his  bereaved  brother  and  acquaint  him 
with  the  circumstances  of  the  inquest. 

Humphrey  Baskerville  was  from  home  and  Nathan, 
knowing  his  familiar  haunt,  proceeded  to  it.  But  first 
he  asked  Mrs.  Hacker  how  her  master  fared. 

The  woman's  eyes  were  stained  with  tears  and  her 
nerves  unstrung. 

"  He  bears  it  as  only  he  can  bear,"  she  said.  "  You'd 
think  he  was  a  stone  if  you  didn't  knov/.  Grinds  on 
with  his  life  —  the  Lord  knows  at  what  cost  to  him- 
self He  lighted  his  pipe  this  morning.  It  went  out 
again,  I  grant  you  ;  still  it  shows  the  nature  of  him, 
that  he  could  light  it.  Not  a  word  will  he  say  about 
our  dear  blessed  boy  —  done  to  death  —  that's  what  I 
call  it  —  by  that  picture-faced  bitch  to  Undershaugh." 

"  You  mustn't  talk  like  that,  Susan.  'Twas  not  the 
girl's  fault,  but  her  cruel  misfortune.  Be  honest,  there's 
a  good  creature.  She's  suffered  more  than  any  but 
her  mother  knows.  No,  no,  no —  not  Cora.  The 
terrible  truth  is  that  Humphrey's  self  is  responsible 
for  all.  If  he'd  met  Mrs.  Lintern's  daughter  in  a 
kinder  spirit,  she'd  never  have  feared  to  come  into  the 
family  and  never  have  thrown  over  poor  Mark.  But  he 
terrified  her  to  death  nearly,  and  she  felt  a  marriage 
with  such  a  man's  son  could  never  come  to  good." 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  179 

Mrs.  Hacker  was  not  following  the  argument.  Her 
mind  had  suffered  a  deep  excitation  and  shock,  and  she 
wandered  from  the  present  to  the  past. 

"The  ups  and  downs  of  it  —  the  riddle  of  it  —  the 
indecency  of  it  —  life  in  general,  I  mean  !  To  think 
that  me  and  you  not  above  a  week  agone  were  dancing 
afore  the  public  eye  —  Father  Christmas  and  Mother 
Dorothy.    How  the  people  laughed!    And  now " 

She  stared  stupidly  before  her  and  suddenly  began 
repeating  her  part  in  the  play. 

"  Here  come  I,  old  Mother  Dorothy, 
Fat,  fair,  plump  and  commodity. 
My  head  is  big,  my  body  is  bigger  : 
Don't  you  think  I  be  a  handsome  old  figure  ?  " 

"  And  the  quality  said  I  might  have  been  made  for 
the  part ! " 

"  You're  light-headed  along  of  all  this  cruel  grief," 
answered  Nathan.  "  Go  in  out  of  this  cold  wind, 
Susan,  and  drink  a  stiff  drop  of  spirits.  I  suppose  my 
brother  is  up  on  the  tor  ?  " 

"  Yes,  he's  up  there  ;  you  can  see  him  from  the 
back  garden.  Looks  like  an  image  —  a  stone  among 
the  stones,  or  a  crow  among  the  crows.  But  the  fire's 
within.  He  was  terrible  fond  of  Mark  really,  though 
he'd  rather  have  had  red-hot  pincers  nip  him  than 
show  it." 

"  I'll  go  up,"  declared  the  innkeeper. 

He  climbed  where  his  brother  appeared  against  the 
skyline  and  found  Humphrey  bleakly  poised,  standing 
on  a  stone  and  looking  into  the  eye  of  the  east  wind. 
His  coat  was  flapping  behind  him  ;  his  hat  was  drawn 
over  his  eyes ;  his  nose  was  red  and  a  drop  hung  from 
it.  He  looked  like  some  great,  forlorn  fowl  perched 
desolate  and  starving  here. 

"  Forgive  me  for  coming,  brother,  but  I  hadn't  the 
heart  to  keep  away.    You  wouldn't  see  me  before  ;  but 


i8o  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

you  must  now.  Get  down  to  the  lew  side  of  these 
stones.     I  must  speak  to  you." 

"  I'm  trying  to  understand,"  answered  the  other 
calmly.  "  And  the  east  wind's  more  like  to  talk  sense 
to  me  than  ever  you  will." 

"  Don't  say  that.  We  often  court  physical  trouble 
ourselves  when  we  are  driven  frantic  with  mental 
trouble.  I  know  that.  I've  suffered  too  in  my  time  ; 
though  maybe  none  of  the  living  —  but  one — will  ever 
know  how  much.  But  'tis  senseless  to  risk  your  own 
life  here  and  fling  open  your  lungs  to  the  east  wind 
because  your  dear  son  has  gone.  Remember  'tis  no 
great  ill  to  die,  Humphrey." 

"  Then  why  do  you  ask  me  to  be  thoughtful  to 
live  ? " 

"  I  mean  we  mustn't  mourn  over  Mark  for  himself 
—  only  his  loss  for  ourselves.  He's  out  of  it.  No 
more  east  wind  for  him.  'Tis  our  grief  that's  left. 
His  grief's  done  ;  his  carking  cares  be  vanished  for 
ever.     You  mustn't  despair,  Humphrey." 

"  And  you  pass  for  an  understanding  man,  I  sup- 
pose ?  And  tell  me  not  to  despair.  Despair's  childish. 
Only  children  despair  when  they  break  their  toys.  And 
grown-up  children  too.  But  not  me.  I  never  de- 
spair, because  I  never  hope.  I  made  him.  I  created 
him.     He  was  a  good  son  to  me." 

"And  a  good  man  every  way.  Gentle  and  kind  — 
too  gentle  and  kind,  for  that  matter.  Thank  God 
we're  all  Christians.  Blessed  are  the  meek.  His  cup 
of  joy  is  full,  and  where  he  is  now,  Humphrey,  his 
only  grief  is  to  see  ours." 

"  That's  the  sort  of  stuff  that's  got  you  a  great 
name  for  a  sympathetic  and  feeling  man,  I  suppose  ? 
D'you  mean  it,  or  is  it  just  the  natural  flow  of  words, 
as  the  rain  falls  and  the  water  rolls  down-hill  ?  I  tell 
you   that   he  was  a   good  man,  and  a  man   to  make 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  i8i 

others  happy  in  his  mild,  humble  way.  Feeble  you 
might  call  him  here  and  there.  And  his  feebleness 
ended  him.  Too  feeble  to  face  life  without  that 
heartless  baggage  !  " 

"  Leave  her  alone.  You  don't  understand  that 
side,  and  this  isn't  the  time  to  try  and  make  you. 
She's  hit  hard  enough." 

Humphrey  regarded  his  brother  with  a  blazing 
glance  of  rage.  Then  his  features  relaxed  and  he 
smiled  strangely  at  his  own  heart,  but  not  at  Nathan. 

"  I  was  forgetting,"  he  said.  Then  he  relapsed  into 
silence. 

Presently  he  spoke  again. 

"  My  Mark  wasn't  much  more  than  a  picture  hung 
on  a  wall  to  some  people.  Perhaps  he  wasn't  much 
more  to  me.  But  you  miss  the  picture  if  'tis  taken 
down.  I  never  thought  of  such  a  thing  happening. 
I  didn't  know  or  guess  all  that  was  hidden  bottled  up 
in  him.  I  thought  he  was  getting  over  it ;  but,  lover- 
like, he  couldn't  think  she'd  really  gone.  Then  some- 
thing—  the  woman  herself,  I  suppose  —  rubbed  it 
into  him  that  there  was  no  more  hope ;  and  then  he 
took  himself  off  like  this.  For  such  a  worthless  rag 
—  to  think  !  And  I  suppose  she'll  hear  his  bell  next 
Sunday  without  turning  a  hair." 

"  Don't  say  that.  She's  terribly  cut  up  and  dis- 
tressed. And  I'm  sure  none  —  none  will  ever  listen 
to  his  bell  like  we  used  to.  'Twill  always  have  a  sad 
message  for  everybody  that  knew  Mark." 

"  Humbug  and  trash  !  You'll  be  the  first  to  laugh 
and  crack  your  jokes  and  all  the  rest  of  it,  the  day  that 
girl  marries.  And  the  bell  clashing  overhead,  and  the 
ashes  of  him  in  the  ground  under.  Let  me  choose 
the  man  —  let  me  choose  the  man  when  she  takes  a 
husband !  " 

Nathan  perceived  that  his  brother  did  not  know  the 


1 82  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

truth.  It  was  no  moment  to  speak  of  Cora  and  Ned 
Baskerville,  however. 

"  I've  just  come  from  the  inquest,"  he  said.  "  Of 
course  'twas  brought  in  'unsound  mind.'  " 

"  Of  course  —  instead  of  seeing  and  owning  that  the 
only  flash  of  sanity  in  many  a  life  be  the  resolve  and 
deed  to  leave  it.  He  was  sane  enough.  No  Basker- 
ville was  ever  otherwise.  'Tis  only  us  old  fools,  that 
stop  here  fumbling  at  the  knot,  that  be  mad.  The 
big  spirits  can't  wait  to  be  troubled  for  threescore 
years  and  ten  with  a  cargo  of  stinking  flesh.  They 
drop  it  overboard  and " 

His  foot  slipped  and  interrupted  the  sentence. 

"Take  my  arm,"  said  the  innkeeper.  "I've  told 
Gollop  that  Mark  will  lie  with  his  mother." 

The  other  seemed  suddenly  moved  by  this  news. 

"  If  I've  misjudged  you,  Nathan,  I'm  sorry  for  it," 
he  said.  "  You  know  in  your  heart  whether  you're  as 
good  as  the  folk  think ;  and  as  wise ;  and  as  worthy. 
But  you  catch  me  short  of  sleep  to-day  ;  and  when  I'm 
short  of  sleep,  I'm  short  of  sense,  perhaps.  To  lie 
with  his  mother  —  eh?  No  new  thing  if  he  does. 
He  lay  many  a  night  under  her  bosom  afore  he  was 
born,  and  many  a  night  on  it  afterwards.  She  was 
wonderful  wrapped  up  in  him  —  the  only  thing  she 
fretted  to  leave.  How  she  would  nuzzle  him,  for 
pure  animal  love,  when  he  was  a  babby  —  like  a  cat 
and  her  kitten." 

"  He  promised  her  when  he  was  ten  years  old  —  the 
year  she  died  —  that  he  would  be  buried  with  her," 
said  Nathan.      "  I  happen  to  know  that,  Humphrey." 

"  Few  keep  their  promises  to  the  dead ;  but  he's 
dead  himself  now.  Burrow  down  —  burrow  down  to 
her  and  put  him  there  beside  her  —  dust  to  dust.  I 
take  no  stock  in  dust  of  any  sort —  not  being  a  farmer. 
But   his  mother   earned   heaven,  and  if  he   didn't,  her 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  183 

tears  may  float  him  in.  To  have  bred  an  immortal 
soul,  mark  you,  is  something,  even  if  it  gets  itself 
damned.  The  parent  of  a  human  creature  be  like  God, 
for  he's  had  a  hand  in  the  making  of  an  angel  or  a 
devil." 

"  Shall  we  bring  Mark  back  to-night,  or  shall  the 
funeral  start  from  the  church  ?  "  asked  Nathan. 

They  had  now  descended  the  hill  and  stood  at 
Humphrey's  gate. 

"  Don't  worry  his  bones.  Let  him  stop  where  he  is 
till  his  bed's  ready.     I'm  not  coming  to  the  funeral." 

"  Not  coming  !  " 

"  No.     I  didn't  go  to  my  wife's,  did  I  ?  " 

"Yes,  indeed  you  did,  Humphrey." 

"  You're  wrong  there.  A  black  hat  with  a  weeper 
on  it,  and  a  coat,  and  a  mourning  hankercher  was  there 

—  not  me.  Bury  him,  and  toll  his  own  bell  for  him, 
but  for  God's  sake  don't  let  any  useful  person  catch 
their  death  of  cold  for  him.  Me  and  his  mother  — 
we'll  mourn  after  our  own  fashion.  Yes,  her  too : 
there  are  spirits  moving  here  for  the  minute.  In  his 
empty  room  she  was  the  night  he  finished  it.  Feeling 
about  she  was,  as  if  she'd  lost  a  threepenny  piece  in 
the  bed-tick.  I  heard  her.  *  Let  be ! '  I  shouted 
from  my  chamber.     '  The  man's  not  there  :   he's  dead 

—  hanged  hisself  for  love  in  the  belfry.  Go  back 
where  you  come  from.  Belike  he'll  be  there  afore 
you,  and,  if  not,  they'll  tell  you  where  to  seek  him.'  " 

He  turned  abruptly  and  went  in ;  then  as  his 
brother,  dazed  and  bewildered,  was  about  to  hurry 
homeward,  the  elder  again  emerged  and  called  to 
him. 

"  A  word  for  your  ear  alone,"  he  said  as  Nathan  re- 
turned. "  There's  not  much  love  lost  between  us, 
and  never  can  be  ;  but  I  thank  you  for  coming  to  me 
to-day.     I    know    you    meant    to  do  a  kindly  thing. 


1 84  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

My  trouble  hasn't  blinded  me.  Trouble  ban't  meant 
to  do  that.  Tears  have  washed  many  eyes  into  clear 
seeing,  as  never  saw  straight  afore  they  shed  'em.  I'm 
obliged  to  you.  You've  come  to  me  in  trouble,  though 
well  you  know  I  don't  like  you.  'Twas  a  Christian 
thing  and  I  shan't  forget  it  of  you.  If  ever  you  fall 
into  trouble  yourself,  come  to  me,  innkeeper." 

"  'Twas  worth  my  pains  to  hear  that.  God  support 
you  always,  brother." 

But  Humphrey  had  departed. 

Nathan  drifted  back  and  turned  instinctively  to 
Undershaugh  rather  than  his  own  house.  Darkness 
and  concern  homed  there  also  ;  Cora  had  gone  away  to 
friends  far  from  the  village,  and  the  Linterns  all  wore 
mourning  for   Mark. 

Priscilla  met  her  landlord  and  he  came  into  the 
kitchen  and  flung  his  hat  on  the  table  and  sat  down  to 
warm  himself  by  the  fire. 

"  God  knows  what's  going  to  happen,"  he  said. 
"  The  man's  mind  is  tottering.  Never  such  sense  and 
nonsense  was  jumbled  in  a  breath." 

After  a  pause  he  spoke  again. 

"  And  poor  old  Susan's  half  mad  too.  An  awful 
house  of  it.  Nothing  Humphrey  may  do  will  sur- 
prise me.  But  one  blessed  word  he  said,  poor  chap, 
though  whether  he  knew  what  he  was  talking  about  I 
can't  guess.  He  thanked  me  for  coming  to  him  in 
trouble  —  thanked  me  even  gratefully  and  said  he'd 
never  forget  it.  That  was  a  blessed  thing  for  me  to 
hear,  at  such  a  time." 

The  emotional  man  shed  tears  and  Priscilla  Lintern 
ministered  to  him. 


CHAPTER   XVII 

HUMPHREY  BASKERVILLE  had  sought  for 
peace  by  many  roads,  and  when  the  final  large 
catastrophe   of  his   life  fell  upon  him,  it  found 
him  treading  a  familiar  path. 

He  had  conceived,  that  only  by  limiting  the  ties  of 
the  flesh  and  trampling  love  of  man  from  his  heart, 
might  one  approximate  to  contentment,  fearlessness, 
and  rest.  He  had  supposed  that  the  fewer  we  love, 
the  less  life  has  power  to  torment  us,  and  he  had  envied 
the  passionless,  sunless  serenity  of  recorded  philoso- 
phers and  saints.  He  was  glad  that,  at  a  time  when 
nature  has  a  large  voice  in  the  affairs  of  the  individual 
and  sways  him  through  sense,  he  had  not  incurred  the 
customary  responsibilities. 

Chance  threw  him  but  a  single  child ;  and  when  the 
mother  of  the  child  was  taken  from  him,  he  felt  a 
sort  of  dreary  satisfaction  that  fate  could  only  strike 
one  more  vital  blow.  He  had  dwarfed  his  affections 
obstinately  ;  he  had  estimated  the  power  of  life  to  in- 
flict further  master  sorrows,  and  imagined  that  by  the 
death  of  one  human  creature  alone  could  added  suffer- 
ing come.  So  at  least  he  believed  before  the  event. 
And  now  that  creature  was  actually  dead.  Out  of  the 
ranks  of  man,  the  bullet  had  found  and  slain  his 
son. 

Yet,  when  Mark  sank  to  the  grave  and  the  first 
storm  of  his  passing  was  stilled  in  the  father's  heart, 
great  new  facts  and  information,  until  then  denied,  fell 
upon  Humphrey  Baskerville's  darkness  and  showed 
him  that  even  this  stroke  could  not  sever  his  spirit 
from  its  kind. 

185 


i86  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

The  looked-for  deliverance  did  not  descend  upon 
him;  the  universal  indifference  did  not  come.  Instead 
his  unrest  persisted  and  he  found  the  fabric  of  his 
former  dream  as  baseless  as  all  dreaming.  Because  the 
alleged  saint  and  the  detached  philosopher  are  forms 
that  mask  reality  ;  they  are  poses  only  possible  where 
the  soul  suffers  from  constitutional  atrophy  or  incurred 
frost-bite. 

They  who  stand  by  the  wayside  and  watch,  are 
freezing  to  death  instead  of  burning  healthily  away. 
Faulty  sentience  is  not  sublime ;  to  be  gelded  of  some 
natural  human  instinct  is  not  to  stand  upon  the  heights. 
He  who  lifts  a  barrier  between  himself  and  life,  shall 
be  found  no  more  than  an  unfinished  thing.  His  am- 
bition for  detachment  is  the  craving  of  disease  ;  his 
content  is  the  content  of  unconsciousness ;  his  peace  is 
the  peace  of  the  mentally  infirm. 

A  complete  man  feels  ;  a  complete  man  suffers  with 
all  his  tingling  senses ;  a  complete  man  smarts  to  see 
the  world's  negligences,  ignorances,  brutalities ;  he  en- 
dures them  as  wrongs  to  himself;  and,  because  he  is  a 
complete  man,  he  too  blunders  and  adds  his  errors  to 
the  sum  of  human  tribulation,  even  while  he  fights 
with  all  his  power  for  the  increase  of  human  happiness. 

The  world's  welfare  is  his  own  ;  its  griefs  are  also 
his.  He  errs  and  makes  atonement;  he  achieves  and 
helps  others  to  achieve  ;  he  loathes  the  cloister  and 
loves  the  hearth.  He  suffers  when  society  is  stricken ; 
he  mourns  when  the  tide  of  evolution  seems  to  rest 
from  its  eternal  task  *  of  pure  ablution  round  earth's 
human  shores ' ;  he  is  troubled  when  transitory  victo- 
ries fall  to  evil  or  ignorance ;  in  fine,  he  lives.  And 
his  watch-tower  and  beacon  is  not  content,  not  peace, 
but  truth. 

He  stands  as  high  above  the  cowardly  serenity  of 
any  anchorite  or  chambered  thinker,  as  the  star  above 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  187 

glimmering  and  rotten  wood  in  a  forest  hidden ;  and 
he  knows  that  no  great  heart  is  ever  passionless,  or 
serene,  or  emparadised  beyond  the  cry  of  little  hearts, 
until  it  has  begun  to  grow  cold.  To  be  holy  to  your- 
self alone  is  to  be  nought ;  a  piece  of  marble  makes  a 
better  saint ;  and  he  who  quits  the  arena  to  look  on, 
though  he  may  be  as  wise  as  the  watching  gods,  is  also 
as  useless. 

Dimly,  out  of  the  cloud  of  misery  that  fell  upon  him 
when  his  son  perished,  Baskerville  began  to  perceive 
and  to  feel  these  facts.  He  had  consoled  himself  by 
thinking  that  the  only  two  beings  he  loved  in  the 
whole  world  were  gone  out  of  it,  and  now  waited  to- 
gether in  eternity  for  his  own  arrival  thither. 

Their  battle  was  ended ;  and  since  they  were  at  rest, 
nothing  further  remained  for  him  to  trouble  about. 
But  the  anticipated  peace  did  not  appear ;  no  anodyne 
poured  into  his  soul ;  and  he  discovered,  that  for  his 
nature,  the  isolated  mental  standpoint  did  not  exist. 

There  could  arise  no  healing  epiphany  of  mental  in- 
difference for  him.  He  might  be  estranged,  but  to 
exile  himself  was  impossible.  He  must  always  actively 
hate  what  he  conceived  to  be  evil ;  he  must  always 
suspect  human  motives ;  he  must  always  feel  the  flow 
and  ebb  of  the  human  tide.  Though  his  own  rocky 
heart  might  be  lifted  above  them,  the  waves  of  that  sea 
would  tune  its  substance  to  throb  in  sympathy,  or  fret 
it  to  beat  with  antagonism,  so  long  as  it  pulsed  at  all. 

This  discovery  surprised  the  man;  for  he  had  be- 
lieved that  a  radical  neutrality  to  human  affairs  belonged 
to  him. 

He  attributed  the  sustained  restlessness  of  his  spirit 
to  recent  griefs  and  supposed  that  the  storm  would 
presently  disappear ;  and  meantime  he  plunged  into  a 
minor  whirlwind  by  falling  into  the  bitterest  quarrel 
with  his  elder  brother. 


i88  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

Nathan  Indeed  he  had  suffered  to  depart  in  peace ; 
but  as  soon  as  the  bereaved  father  learned  that  Vivian's 
son,  Ned,  was  engaged  to  Cora,  and  perceived  how  it 
was  this  fact  that  had  finally  killed  hope  in  Mark  and 
induced  the  unhappy  weakling  to  destroy  himself,  his 
rage  burst  forth  against  the  master  of  Cadworthy  ;  and 
when  Vivian  called  upon  the  evening  of  the  funeral  to 
condole  with  Humphrey,  an  enduring  strife  sprang  up 
between  them. 

"  I'm  come  as  the  head  of  the  family,  Humphrey," 
began  the  veteran,  "and  it  ban't  seemly  that  this  here 
terrible  day  should  pass  over  your  head  without  any 
of  your  kith  and  kin  speaking  to  you  and  comforting 
you.  We  laid  the  poor  young  man  along  with  his 
mother  in  the  second  row  of  the  Baskerville  stones. 
My  word  !  as  Gollop  said  after  the  funeral,  '  even  in 
death  the  Baskervilles  be  a  pushing  family ! '  Our 
slates  stretch  pretty  near  from  the  church  to  the 
churchyard  wall  now." 

"Thank  you  for  being  there,"  answered  his  brother. 
"  I  couldn't  have  gone,  because  of  the  people.  There 
was  no  maiming  of  the  rite  —  eh  .?  " 

"Not  a  word  left  out  —  all  as  it  should  be.  Eight 
young  men  carried  him,  including  a  farmer  or  two,  and 
my  son  Ned,  and  Heathman  Lintern,  and  also  my  son 
Rupert  —  though  where  he  came  from  and  where  he 
went  to  after  'twas  ended,  I  don't  know,  and  don't 
care.  He's  left  me  —  to  better  himself — so  he  thinks, 
poor  fool  !     A  nice  way  to  treat  a  good  father." 

"  You've  lost  a  son,  too,  then  —  lost  him  to  find  him 
again,  doing  man's  work.  You'll  live  to  know  that  he 
was  right  and  you  were  wrong.  But  my  son  —  my 
mind  is  turned  rather  rotten  of  late.  After  dark  I 
can't  get  his  dead  face  out  of  my  eyes.  Nought  ter- 
rible, neither — just,  in  a  word,  'dead.'  He  broke  his 
neck  —  he  didn't  strangle  himself     He  knew  what  he 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  189 

was  about.  But  there,  I  see  it.  Gone  —  and  none 
knows  what  he  was  to  me.  He  never  knew  himself; 
and  for  that  matter  I  never  knew  myself,  neither  —  till 
he  was  gone." 

"  We  never  do  know  all  other  folk  mean  to  us — not 
until  they  be  snatched  off.  If  anybody  had  told  me 
how  my  son  Rupert's  going  would  have  made  such  a 
difference,  I'd  not  have  believed  it." 

"  Then  think  of  this  house.  You  feel  that  —  you 
with  your  store  of  children  and  Rupert,  after  all,  but 
gone  a  few  miles  away  to  go  on  with  his  work  and 
marry  the  proper  wife  you  deny  him.  But  me  — 
nought  left  —  nought  but  emptiness  —  no  *  Good 
morning,  father ' ;  no  *  Good  night,  father ' ;  no  ear 
to  listen ;  no  voice  to  ask  for  my  advice.  And  I'd 
plotted  and  planned  for  him,  Vivian ;  I'd  made  half  a 
hundred  little  secret  plans  for  him.  I  knew  well  the 
gentle  fashion  of  man  he  was  —  not  likely  ever  to 
make  a  fighter  —  and  so  I'd  cast  his  life  in  a  mould 
where  it  could  be  easy.  He'd  have  come  to  know  in 
time.  But  he  never  did  know.  He  went  out  of  it 
in  a  hurry,  and  never  hinted  a  whisper  of  what  he  was 
going  to  do.  If  he'd  but  given  me  the  chance  to 
argue  it  out  with  him  !  " 

'*  We've  acted  alike,  me  and  you,"  answered  his 
brother ;  "  and  it  ban't  for  any  man  to  dare  to  say  that 
either  of  us  was  wrong.  When  the  young  fall  into 
error,  'tis  our  bounden  duty  to  speak  and  save  'em  if 
we've  got  the  power.      I  don't  hold  with  Rupert " 

"  No  need  to  drag  in  your  affairs.  That  case  is 
very  different.  I  did  not  treat  my  son  like  a  child  ; 
I  did  not  forbid  him  to  marry  and  turn  him  out  of 
doors." 

"  Stay  !  "  cried  Vivian,  growing  red,  "  you  mustn't 
speak  so  to  me." 

*'  What  did  you  do  if  it  wasn't  that  ?     No  proud 


I90  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

man  can  stay  under  the  roof  where  he's  treated  like  a 
child.  But  Mark  —  did  I  forbid  ?  No.  I  only  made 
it  clear  that  I  despised  the  woman  he'd  set  his  heart 
on.  I  only  told  him  the  bitter  truth  of  her.  If  she'd 
clung  to  him  through  all,  would  I  have  turned  him 
away  or  refused  him  ?  Never.  'Twould  have  made 
no  difference.  'Twas  not  me  kept  'em  apart  —  as  you 
are  trying  to  keep  apart  your  son  and  Saul  Luscombe's 
niece  —  trying  and  failing.  'Twas  the  proud,  empty, 
heartless  female  herself  that  left  him." 

"  I'll  hear  nought  against  her,"  answered  Vivian 
stoutly.  "  She's  not  proud  and  she's  not  empty. 
She's  a  very  sensible  woman,  and  this  cruel  piece  of 
work  has  been  a  sad  trouble  to  her.  She  left  Mark 
because  she  felt  that  you  hated  her,  and  would  tor- 
ment her  and  make  her  married  life  a  scourge  to  her 
back.  Any  woman  with  proper  sense  and  self-respect 
would  have  done  the  like.  'Twas  you  and  only  you 
choked  her  off  your  son,  and  'tis  vain  —  'tis  wicked  to 
the  girl  —  to  say  now  that  'twas  her  fault.  But  I've 
not  come  to  speak  these  things  —  only  I  won't  hear 
Hes  told." 

"  You've  heard  'em  already,  it  seems.  Who's  been 
telling  you  this  trash  ?     Nathan  Baskerville  belike  .?  " 

"As  a  matter  of  fact  'tis  my  son  Ned,"  answered 
Vivian.  "  You  must  surely  know  how  things  have 
fallen  out?  It  happened  long  afore  poor  Mark 
died.     Didn't  he  tell  you  ?  " 

"He  told  me  nought.  What  should  he  tell  me? 
Ned  he  certainly  wouldn't  name,  for  he  knew  of  all 
your  brood  I  like  your  eldest  son  least  —  a  lazy, 
worthless  man,  as  all  the  world  well  knows  but 
you." 

"  You  shan't  anger  me,  try  as  you  will,  Humphrey. 
I'm  here,  as  your  elder  brother  and  the  head  of  the 
family,  to  offer  sympathy  to  you  in  your  trouble ;  and 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  191 

I'll  ax  you  to  leave  my  family  alone.  Young  men  will 
be  young  men,  and  as  for  Ned,  if  I  be  the  only  one 
that  feels  as  I  should  feel  to  him,  'tis  because  I'm  the 
only  one  that  understands  his  nature  and  his  gifts. 
He'll  astonish  you  yet,  and  all  of  us.  The  books 
he  reads  !  You  wait.  Soon  ripe,  soon  rotten.  He's 
taking  his  time,  and  if  he  wants  a  wife,  'tis  only  in 
reason  that  the  future  head  of  the  family  should  have 
a  wife ;  and  why  not  ^  He  shan't  have  to  work  as  I 
have  worked." 

"  A  fool's  word !  What  made  you  all  you  are  ? 
Work  and  the  love  of  it.  Yet  you  let  him  go  to 
the  devil  in  idleness." 

"  If  you'd  but  suffer  me  to  finish  my  speech  —  I  say 
that  Ned  won't  work  as  I  have  worked  —  with  my 
limbs  and  muscles.  He's  got  a  brain,  and  the  time  be 
coming  when  he'll  use  it." 

"  Never." 

"  Anyway  a  settled  Hfe  is  the  first  thing,  and  the 
mind  free  to  follow  its  proper  bent.  And  I  don't  say 
*  no '  to  his  marrying,  because  the  case  is  different  from 
Rupert's,  and  'tis  fitting  that  he  should  do  so." 

"  But  Rupert  must  not.  And  you  pass  for  a  just 
and  sensible  man  !  " 

"  'Tis  strange  —  something  in  the  Baskerville  char- 
acter that  draws  her  —  but  so  it  is,"  continued  the 
master  of  Cadworthy,  ignoring  his  brother's  last  re- 
mark. "  In  a  word,  when  he  found  she  was  free,  my 
Ned  took  up  with  Cora  Lintern,  and  she's  going  to 
marry  him.  But  'tis  to  be  a  full  year  from  this  sad 
Christmas  —  I   bargained    for    that    and   will    have    it 

" '  Going  to  take  him '  ?  Going  to  take  your 
son  ! "   cried  the  other. 

"  She  is  ;  and  I  sanction  it ;  for  I  found  her  a  very 
different  maiden  to  what  you  did." 


192 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS 


"  Going  to  marry  Ned  !  Going  from  my  Mark  to 
your  Ned  !  " 

"  'Twas  settled  some  time  ago.  Mark  knew  it,  for 
I  myself  let  it  out  to  him  when  I  met  him  one  day  in 
North  Wood.  'Twas  but  two  days  afore  his  last 
breath,  poor  fellow.  Of  course,  I  thought  that  he 
knew  all  about  it,  and  as  it  was  understood  that  he 
had  got  over  his  loss  very  bravely  and  was  cheerful 
and  happy  as  usual  again,  I  made  nothing  of  the 
matter,  thinking  that  was  the  best  way  to  take  it." 

Humphrey  stared  at  him. 

"  Go  on  —  you're  letting  in  the  light,"  he  said. 

"That's  all  — all  save  this.  When  I  told  Mark 
that  Cora  was  going'  to  wed  his  cousin,  I  saw  by  his 
face  'twas  news  for  him.  His  colour  faded  away. 
Then  I  knew  that  he  hadn't  heard  about  it.  Acci- 
dent had  kept  it  from  him  till  the  matter  was  a 
week  old." 

"  And  he  said ?  " 

"  He  just  said  something  stammering  like.  He 
was  a  bit  of  a  kick-hammer  in  his  speech  sometimes  — 
nothing  to  name ;  but  it  would  overtake  him  now  and 
again  if  he  was  very  much  excited.  I  didn't  catch 
just  what  the  words  were  —  something  about  one  of 
the  family  having  her,  I   think  'twas." 

"Then  he  went  and  killed  himself,  and  not  till  then. 
So  'twas  your  son  after  all  as  settled  him  —  don't  roar 
me  down,  for  I'll  be  heard.  Your  son  —  all  his  work! 
He  plotted  and  planned  it.  And  lazy  I  thought  him  ! 
And  I  might  have  known  there's  no  such  thing  as 
laziness  of  mind  and  body  both.  Busy  as  a  bee 
damning  himself —  damning  himself,  I  tell  you  !  A 
shifty  traitor,  a  man  to  stab  other  men  in  the  back,  a 
knave  and  the  vilest  thing  that  ever  bore  our  name. 
And  you  know  it  —  you  know  it  as  well  as  I   do." 

"  By  God  !  this  is  too  much,"  shouted  out  Vivian, 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  193 

rising  to  his  feet  and  towering  over  the  crouching 
figure  opposite  him.  "  What  are  you  made  of  to 
say  such  vile  things  of  an  innocent  man  ?  You  see 
life  all  awry  ;  you   see " 

"  I  see  a  hard-hearted,  blind  old  fool,"  answered  the 
other.  "  You  let  your  wretched  son  rob  you  of  justice 
and  reason  and  sense  and  everything.  Get  hence  !  I'll 
have  no  more  of  you.  But  your  time  will  come  ;  you'll 
suffer  yet ;  and  this  godless,  useless  brute —  this  murderer 
—  will  murder  you  yourself,  maybe,  or  murder  your  love 
of  living  at  the  least.  Wait  and  watch  him  a  little  longer. 
He'll  bring  your  grey  hairs  with  sorrow  to  the  grave  afore 
he's  done  with  you  —  take  my  word  for  that.  And  as  for 
me,  I'll  curse  him  to  his  dying  day,  and  curse  you  for 
breeding  him  !  Wait  and  watch  what  you've  done 
and  the  fashion  of  man  you've  let  loose  on  the  world ; 
and  let  them  marry  —  the  sooner  the  better  —  then 
his  punishment's  brewed  and  there's  no  escape  from 
the  drinking.  Yes,  let  him  eat  and  drink  of  her,  for 
man's  hate  can't  wish  him  a  worse  meal  than  that." 

He  ceased  because  he  was  alone.  Vivian  had  felt  a 
terrible  danger  threatening  him,  and  had  fled  from  it. 

"  My  anger  heaved  up  like  seven  devils  in  me,"  he 
told  his  wife  afterwards.  "  If  I'd  bided  a  moment 
longer  I  must  have  struck  the  man.  So  I  just  turned 
tail  and  bolted  afore  the  harm  was  done.  Not  but 
what  harm  enough  be  done.  Mad  —  mad  he  was  by 
the  froth  on  his  lip  and  the  light  in  his  eye,  and  them 
awful  eyebrows  twitching  like  an  angry  ape's.  'Twas 
more  a  wild  beast  in  a  tantrum  than  a  human.  'Tis 
all  over,  and  no  fault  of  mine.  I'll  never  speak  to 
thicky  horrible  creature  no  more  so  long  as  I  live  — 
never.  'And  I'll  not  willingly  so  much  as  set  eyes 
upon  him  again." 

"  A  very  Pharaoh  of  a  man,  no  doubt,"  declared 
Mrs.  Baskerville.     "  The  Lord  has  hardened  his  heart 


194  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

against  us  ;  but  He'll  soften  it  in  His  own  good  time. 
Though  for  that  matter  'tis  difficult  to  see  how  he  can 
be  struck  again.      His  all  be  took  from  him." 

Vivian  considered  this  saying,  but  it  did  not  shake 
his  intention. 

"  He's  growed  dangerous  and  desperate,  and  'twill  be 
wiser  that  I  see  him  no  more,"  he  answered.  "  He's 
flung  my  sympathy  back  in  my  face,  and  that's  a  sort 
of  blow  leaves  a  bruise  that  a  long  life's  self  can't 
medicine." 

"  'Twill  come  right.  Time  will  heal  it,"  she  told 
him. 

But  he  was  doubtful. 

"There  may  not  be  time,"  he  said.  "The  man 
won't  live  long  at  the  gait  he's  going  —  burning  away 
with  misery,  he  is.  And  calls  himself  a  Christian  ! 
Little  enough  comfort  the  poor  soul  sucks  out  of 
Christ." 

Within  a  week  of  this  incident  Humphrey  Basker- 
ville  was  seeking  his  brother's  society  again  —  a  thing 
of  all  others  least  likely  to  have  happened.  It  fell  out 
that  he  was  walking  as  usual  on  the  waste  above  Hawk 
House,  when  he  saw  his  nephew  Rupert  proceeding 
hastily  along  the  distant  road  to  Cadworthy  Farm. 
The  young  man  noted  him,  left  his  way  and  ap- 
proached. 

"  'Tis  well  I  met  you,  uncle,"  he  said.  "  Young 
Humphrey's  just  ridden  over  to  you  with  a  message 
from  mother.  Then  he  came  on  to  me.  There's 
terrible  trouble  at  home  —  father,  I  mean.  You  know 
v/hat  he  is  for  doing  heavy  work  —  work  beyond  his 
years,  of  course.  He  was  shifting  grain  from  the  loft, 
and  they  found  him  fallen  and  insensible  with  a  sack 
on  top  of  him.  I  hope  to  God  it  ban't  very  bad. 
Mother  sent  off  for  me,  for  fear  it  might  be  a  fatal 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  195 

thing.  And  Humphrey  says  my  name  was  on  father's 
lips  when  they  laid  him  to  bed  after  doctor  had  gone. 
He  said,  '  This  be  Rupert's  fault.  I  be  driven  to  this 
heavy  work  along  of  him  leaving  me,  and  now  he's 
killed  me.'  I'm  sure  I  hope  he'll  call  that  back,  for 
'tis  a  terrible  thing  for  me  to  live  under  if  he  died." 

"I'll  come  along  with  you,"  said  Mr.  Baskerville ; 
"  and  as  to  what  your  father  may  have  spoken  in  his 
anger  at  being  stricken  down,  pay  no  heed  to  it.  He's 
like  a  silly  boy  over  these  feats  of  strength,  and  he'd 
have  shifted  the  sacks  just  the  same  if  you'd  been  there. 
The  thing  he  said  isn't  true,  and  there's  an  end  on  it. 
He'll  be  sorry  he  uttered  the  word  when  he's  better." 

They  hurried  forward  and  presently  stood  at  the 
door  of  Cadworthy. 

"  You'd  best  knock  afore  you  enter,"  said  the  elder. 
"  We're  both  in  disgrace  here,  and  come  as  strangers. 
I  had  a  difference  with  your  father  last  time  we  met. 
Ned  Baskerville  is  tokened  to  that  woman  that  killed 
Mark.  I  could  not  hear  and  keep  dumb.  I  cursed 
my  brother  in  my  rage,  and  I  owe  him  an  apology." 

Rupert  knocked  at  the  door,  and  his  sister  May 
answered  it.  Her  eyelids  were  red  with  tears  and  her 
manner  agitated. 

"  How's  your  father?  "  asked  Humphrey. 

"  Very  bad,  uncle.  'Tis  a  great  doubt  if  he'll  get 
better,  doctor  says." 

"  Then  be  sure  he  will.     I've  come  to  see  him." 

Mrs.  Baskerville  appeared  behind  May.  She  was 
very  pale,  but  appeared  collected. 

"  I'm  sorry  —  terrible  sorry,"  she  said.  "  I've  told 
dear  master  that  I'd  sent  for  Rupert  and  for  you, 
Humphrey,  but  he  won't  see  neither  of  you.  'Tis  no 
good  arguing  about  it  in  his  state ;  but  I  pray  God 
he'll  change  his  mind  to-morrow." 

Rupert  kissed  his  mother. 


196  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

"  Bear  up,"  he  said.  "  With  his  strength  and  great 
courage  he'll  weather  it,  please  God.  You  know  where 
I  am  —  not  five  mile  away.  I'll  come  running  the 
moment  he'll  see  me." 

"  And  ask  him  to  forgive  his  brother.  I'm  sorry  I 
said  the  things  I  did,"  declared  Humphrey  Baskerville. 

A  pony  cart  drove  up  at  this  moment  and  Eliza 
Gollop  alighted  from  it. 

She  carried  a  large  brown-paper  parcel,  and  a  corded 
box  was  lifted  out  after  her. 

"  I've  come,"  she  said.  "  Doctor  left  a  message  for 
me  as  he  went  back  along,  and  I  was  ready  as  usual. 
How's  the  poor  man  going  on  ?  I'm  afraid  you  must 
not  be  very  hopeful  —  so  doctor  said  on  his  way  back  ; 
but  where  there's  Hfe  and  me  there's  always  hope,  as 
my  brother  Thomas  will  have  it." 

Humphrey  and  his  nephew  walked  slowly  away  to- 
gether. At  the  confines  of  the  farmyard  Rupert  turned 
out  of  the  road  a  little  and  pointed  upwards  to  a  win- 
dow that  faced  the  east.  A  white  blind  was  drawn 
down  over  it. 

"  That's  father's  room,"  he  said. 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

JACK  HEAD  entered  the  bar  of  ^  The  White 
Thorn,'  and  was  glad  to  find  Nathan  Baskerville 
at  home. 

"  I  don't  want  to  drink,  I  want  to  talk,"  he  said. 

"  Then  come  into  my  room.  Jack,"  answered  the 
innkeeper,  and  Mr.  Head  followed  him  into  a  little 
chamber  known  as  '  Mr.  Nathan's  office.' 

"  I've  got  together  another  five  pounds,"  explained 
the  labourer,  "  and  I  know  you'll  do  for  me  what 
you  do  for  all  —  put  it  by  with  the  rest.  We  come  to 
you,  Mr.  Baskerville,  and  we  trust  you  with  our  sav- 
ings, for  why  ?  Because  you  ban't  a  lawyer.  You're 
the  poor  man's  bank,  as  I  always  say,  and  I  only  hope 
you  get  your  fair  share  of  good  for  all  the  money  you 
put  away  to  goody  for  us." 

"  That's  all  right.  Jack." 

Mr.  Nathan  produced  a  ledger  and  turned  over  the 
pages. 

"  This  makes  twenty  to  you,  and  interest  three-ten." 

He  wrote  a  receipt  and  handed  it  to  the  other. 

"Wish  I'd  got  your  'mazing  head  for  figures;  and 
so  I  should  if  I'd  been  properly  eggicated." 

"  I  shall  have  some  pretty  big  money  on  my  hands 
before  long,  I'm  afraid,"  said  Nathan  gloomily.  "  Doc- 
tor called  coming  back  from  Cadworthy.  'Tis  all  over 
with  my  poor  brother,  I'm  afraid." 

"  My  stars  —  that  mighty  man  to  drop  amongst  us  ! 
Well,  he's  had  a  good  life  and  full  share  of  fortune." 

"His  own  folly  has  finished  him  too  —  that's  the 
worst  of  it.  Would  be  doing  the  young  men's  work, 
and  did  it  once  too  often." 

197 


198  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

"  A  fall,  so  they  say.  But  none  appear  to  know  the 
rights  seemingly." 

"  Simple  enough.  Vivian  was  carrying  oats,  and 
slipped  his  foot  on  a  frosty  place.  Down  he  came 
with   the  sack  on  his  back.  He  went  insensible ; 

but  by  the  time  young  Humphrey,  who  was  along  with 
him,  had  fetched  help,  Vivian  had  come  to  again.  He 
crept  in  the  house  and  up  to  his  bed.  *  'Tis  nought,' 
he  told  'em,  *  just  a  shake  up ;  I'll  be  right  in  the 
morning.'  But  he  wasn't.  He  couldn't  rise,  and  felt 
a  lot  of  pain  to  the  inwards.  Doctor  won't  be  sure 
what's  gone,  but  he  reckons  that  the  poor  man's 
ruptured  spleen  or  liver.  Anyway,  he's  going.  Fad- 
ing out  fast  —  and  suffering,  too." 

"  Such  a  mountain  as  him.  I  suppose  they  can't 
reach  the  evil.  And  will  all  his  affairs  come  down  on 
your  shoulders  ? " 

"  That  is  so.  Everything  will  have  to  be  done  by 
me.  The  boys  know  nought  of  business.  He's  a 
rich  man  —  I   know  that." 

"  A  great  responsibility,  but  no  doubt  you're  up 
to  it." 

"  Not  that  it  will  be  so  difficult  either,"  added 
Nathan,  "  because  all  his  money  was  invested  pretty 
much  as  I  advised.  His  wife  is  joint  executor  with 
me  ;  but  she  knows  nothing.  I  could  have  wished 
he'd  drawn  my  brother  Humphrey  in  and  made  him 
responsible ;  but  he  never  was  sure  of  Humphrey,  I'm 
sorry  to  say  ;  and,  as  bad  luck  would  have  it,  just 
before  Vivian  met  with  this  trouble,  he  had  a  terrible 
quarrel  with  Humphrey  —  so  terrible,  in  fact,  that 
when  Humphrey  called,  after  the  accident,  farmer 
wouldn't  see   him." 

"  Nor  his  son  neither.  I  took  hope  from  that,  for  if 
a  man's  well  enough  to  keep  up  such  a  hatred  against 
his  own  kin,  it  looks  as  if  he  was  likely  to  get  better." 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  199 

"  I'm  afraid  not.  I'm  going  over  this  afternoon  to 
see  him  and  hear  about  his  will.  Please  God  he'll 
prove  softer.  'Twould  be  a  cruel  thing  if  he  clouded 
his  great  name  for  justice  at  the  end  by  striking  from 
the  grave." 

"  Where  should  he  strike  ?  " 

"  Rupert,  I  mean.  He  took  Rupert's  going  terrible 
to  heart,  and  when  Rupert  wrote  very  properly  last 
Christmas  and  offered  his  father  his  respects,  and  said 
as  he  meant  to  marry  Saul  Luscombe's  niece  next 
spring,  Hester  tells  me  that  my  brother  pretty  well 
threw  the  doors  out  of  windows.  He  went  to  Tavi- 
stock next  day,  and  there's  an  ugly  fear  in  his  wife's 
mind  that  he  had  his  will  out  and  tinkered  it.  I 
shall  ax  him  this  evening,  and  try  to  get  him  to  see 
sense." 

Elsewhere  Hester  Baskerville  spoke  with  her  hus- 
band, and  found  that  he  already  knew  what  the  doctor 
had  advised  her  to  tell  him. 

"  You  can  spare  speech,"  he  said,  "  I  saw  it  in  the 
man's  eyes  ;  and  I  knew  it  afore  he  came,  for  that 
matter.  I'm  not  going  to  get  better.  I'm  going 
to  die." 

"  There's  hope  still,  but  not  enough  to " 

"  I'm  going  to  die.      Where's  Eliza  Gollop  ?" 

"  I'll  call  her." 

"  You'd  best  to  hot  up  the  milk  he  ordered.  I'll  try 
to  let  it  down  if  I  can.  And  give  Eliza  pen,  ink,  and 
paper." 

"  Don't  be  writing.      Lie  still  and  let  her  read  to  you." 

"  You  needn't  be  afraid.  My  writing  was  done  to 
Tavistock  afore  I  came  to  grief.  You're  all  right,  and 
all  that  have  treated  me  as  a  father  should  be  treated 
are  all  right.  There's  tons  of  money.  Where's 
Ned  to  ? " 


zoo  THE    THREE    BROTHERS 

"  He's  going  to  ride  in  to  the  surgery  for  the 
medicine  to  stop  that  cruel  pain." 

"  Let  Humphrey  get  it.  And  send  Ned  to  me  in- 
stead of  EHza  Gollop.      'Tis  him  I  want  —  not  her." 

She  pressed  his  hand  and  kissed  him,  and  went  out. 
The  huge  form  lay  still,  breathing  slowly.  A  fly, 
wakened  out  of  hibernation  by  the  heat  of  the  fire, 
buzzed  about  his  face.  He  swore,  and  his  scarlet 
nightcap  bobbed  as  he  moved   painfully. 

Ned  came  in,  little  liking  to  be  there.  He  lacked 
the  spirit  and  mental  courage  for  such  a  time. 

"  Kill  this  blasted  fly,  will  'e  ?  Then  get  pen  and 
ink.  'Tis  a  very  old  custom  in  our  race,  Ned,  to 
write  our  own  epitaphs  when  we  can.  I've  put  mine 
off  and  ofi^,  along  of  a  silly  fancy  about  doing  it ;  but 
the  time  be  ripe,  and  my  head's  clear." 

"  Don't  say  things  like  that,  father.  You  may  get 
better  yet.  He's  going  to  fetch  another  doctor  to- 
morrow." 

"Let  him  fetch  twenty  —  they  can  do  nought. 
'Tis  the  last  back-heel  that  none  ever  stand  against. 
I  don't  grumble.  I'm  only  sorry  that  'twas  my  own 
son  has  struck  his  father.      Death  don't  matter,  but  'tis 

a    bitter  death  to  know  the  fruit  of  your  loins 

His  work  I  was  doing  :  let  him  know  that  —  his  work. 
An  old  man  doing  a  young  man's  work.  If  Rupert 
had  been  here,  he'd  have  been  shifting  they  sacks. 
Let  none  deny  it.     'Tis  solemn  truth." 

Ned  knew  the  extreme  falsity  of  this  impression,  but 
he  made  no  effort  to  contradict  his  father. 

"What  I  done  to  Tavistock  a  month  agone,  I  might 
have  undone  afore  I  went,"  continued  the  sick  man. 
"But  not  now  —  not  when  I  remember  'twas  his  wick- 
edness has  hurried  me  into  my  grave.  Where  be  my 
son  Nathan's  ship  to  now.^" 
.     "Don't  know,  father." 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  201 

"You  ought  to  know,  then.  Him  that  I  would  see 
I  can't  see;  and  him  that  would  see  me  I  won't  see." 

"You  might  see  him,  father,  for  his  peace." 

"  *  Peace'  !  Damn  his  peace  !  What  peace  shall  he 
have  that  killed  his  own  father  ?  He  don't  deserve  to 
look  upon  me  again,  and  he  shan't — living  nor  dead  — 
mark  that.  Tell  your  mother  that  when  I'm  dead, 
Rupert  han't  to  see  me.      Only  the  coffin  lid  shall  he  see." 

The  old  man  snorted  and  groaned.  Then  he  spoke 
again. 

"Have  you  got  pen  and  ink  ready?" 

"Yes,  father." 

"Turn  to  the  first  leaf  of  the  Bible,  then,  and  see 
my  date." 

Ned  opened  the  family  register  and  read  the  time  of 
his  father's  birth. 

"  Born  June,  died  January — and  just  over  the  allotted 
span.  Let  me  see,  how  shall  the  stone  read?  There's 
good  things  on  the  Baskerville  stones.  'Sacred  to  the 
memory  of  Vivian  Baskerville,  of  Cadworthy  Farm,  in 
this  parish,  yeoman.'     You  can  begin  like  that." 

"Shall  you  say  anything  about  being  champion  of  the 
west  country  at  wrestling?  "  asked  Ned. 

"No.  That  ban't  a  thing  for  the  grave — at  least, 
perhaps  it  might  be.  Your  uncle,  the  great  musicker, 
had  a  fiddle  cut  'pon  his  stone  very  clever.  If  'twas 
thought  that  the  silver  belt  could  be  copied  upon  my 

slate But  no,   let   that    pass,    'tis    but    a    small 

matter." 

"  Better  leave  it  to  us  to  think  about.  Uncle  Nathan 
will  know  best." 

"So  he  will,  then.  And  we  must  work  in  a  rhyme, 
for  certain;  but  first,  I've  got  a  fine  thought  to  put 
down." 

Ned  waited,  pen  in  hand;  then  his  father  continued 
to  dictate :  — 


20Z  THE    THREE    BROTHERS 

"*What  it  pleased  the  great  I  AM' — capital  letters 
for  I  AM  —  'what  it  pleased  the  great  I  AM  to  give 
me  in  shape  of  a  body  in  eighteen  hundred  and  eighteen, 
it  hkewise  pleased  Him  to  call  home  again  in  eighteen 
hundred  and  eighty-nine.'      How  does  that  sound?" 

"  Splendid,  father." 

"Now  there's  the  rhyme  to  follow.  I  want  to  work 
in  'breath'  and  'death'  if  it  can  be  done.  You  ought 
to  be  able  to  do  it,  seeing  all  the  learning  you've  had 
and  what  it  cost." 

Ned  frowned  and  puzzled.  Then,  while  Vivian 
groaned,  he  had  an  inspiration,  and  wrote  rapidly. 

"How's  this,  father.?"  he  asked.  "It  just  flashed 
in  my  mind."     Then  he  read:  — 

*' Three  score  years  and  ten  I  kept  my  breath; 
So  long  I  felt  no  fear  of  Death." 

"It  goes  very  well,  but  I  haven't  got  no  more  fear 
of  death  now  than  ever  I  had.     You  must  alter  that." 
Silence  fell  again  and  Ned  mended  his  rhyme. 
"How  would  this  answer?"  he  asked:  — 

*' Three  score  years  and  ten  I  kept  my  breath 
And  stood  up  like  a  man  and  feared  not  Death." 

"Yes,  that's  very  good  indeed.  Now  us  must  make 
two  more  lines  to  finish  —  that  is,  if  we  can  be  clever 
enough  to  think  of 'em." 

Ned's  pen  squeaked  and  stopped,  squeaked  and 
stopped  again.  He  scratched  out  and  wrote  for  several 
minutes. 

"Listen  to  this,  father,"  he  said  at  length,  "'tis  better 
even  than  the  first."     He  read  once  more:  — 

"Yet  now  I'm  gone,  my  thread  is  spun. 
And  I  know  my  God  will  say,  *Well  done!  '" 

"The  cleverness  of  it!     And  didn't  I  always  say  you 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  203 

were  crammed  up  with  cleverness?  But  the  last  line 
won  t  do. 

"  'Tis  the  best  of  all,  father." 

"  Won't  do,  I  tell  you.  Who  be  I  to  know  my 
God  will  pat  me  on  the  back  ?  Little  enough  to  be 
pleased  with  —  little  enough.  Put,  *  I  hope  my  God 
will  say,  "  Well  done  !  "  '  " 

"  You  may  only  hope,  but  all  else  know  that  He 
will,"  declared  Ned  stoutly. 

As  he  finished  writing  Nathan  Baskervllle  entered 
with  the  wife  of  the  sufferer.  Hester  brought  a  cup 
of  hot  milk,  but  Vivian  in  his  excitement  would  not 
taste  until  the  epitaph  had  been  rehearsed. 

"  Ned's  thought,"  he  said.  "  And  I  helped  him. 
And  I  shall  be  proud  to  lie  under  it  —  any  man  might. 
Give  me  the  paper." 

His  son  handed  it  to  him,  and  he  read  the  rhyme 
aloud  with  great  satisfaction. 

**  Three  score  years  and  ten  I  kept  my  breath. 
And  stood  up  like  a  man  and  feared  not  Death  ; 
Yet  now  I'm  gone,  my  thread  is  spun. 
And  I  hope  my  God  will  say,  *  Well  done  ! '  " 

How's  that,  Nat  ?  So  good  as  the  musicker's  own  in 
my  judgment." 

"Splendid!  Splendid!"  declared  Nathan.  He  was 
much  moved.  He  blew  his  nose  and  went  to  the  win- 
dow awhile.  Then,  Vivian  being  relieved  and  fed,  the 
innkeeper  returned  to  him  and  sat  beside  him.  Hes- 
ter Baskerville  and  her  son  went  out  and  left  the 
brothers  together. 

"  Us'll  talk  business,  Nat,"  said  the  sick  man 
presently. 

"  And  first  I  want  you  to  know  that  you'll  have 
more  than  your  trouble  for  your  pains.  'Tis  a  com- 
mon thing  with  dying  people  to   leave  a  lot  of  work 


204  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

behind  'em  for  somebody  to  do,  and  never  a  penny- 
piece  of  payment  for  doing  it.  But  not  me.  There's 
fifty  pound  for  you,  Nat.  I've  scrimped  in  reason  all 
my  life.      I've " 

He  was  stopped  by  pain. 

"  Ban't  far  off,  I  reckon.  Can't  talk  much  more. 
You'll  do  all  right  and  proper.  I  trust  my  widow  and 
childer  to  you.  My  boy  Ned  be  no  good  at  figures, 
so  I  look  to  you." 

"  To  the  very  best  of  my  power  I'll  do  by  them  all. 
Leave  that  now.  You're  the  sort  who  isn't  taken  un- 
prepared. I  want  to  say  a  word  about  Rupert,  if  you'll 
let  me." 

"  Not  a  word  —  not  a  breath  !  That  book  is  closed, 
not  to  be  opened  no  more.  You  don't  want  to  add 
another  pang  to  my  end,  do  you  ^  Let  me  forget 
him.      I've  forgiven   him  —  that's  enough." 

"  'Tisn't  to  forgive  him,  my  dear  Vivian,  if  you 
have  cut  him  off  with  nought." 

"  I'll  hear  no  more  !  "  cried  the  other.  "  I'll  think 
no  more  of  him,  nor  yet  of  Humphrey.  'Tis  they 
have  cruelly  and  wickedly  wronged  me.  'Tis  Rupert 
have  brought  me  here,  and  hastened  me  into  my  grave 
ten  years  afore  the  time,  and  he'll  have  to  answer  to 
his  God  for  it." 

"  Leave  it  then  —  leave  it  and  talk  of  other  things. 
You'll  like  Ned  to  take  Cora  Lintern  ?  You'll  like 
that?  And  I  shall  do  something  for  Cora.  I'm  very 
fond  of  her." 

They  talked  for  half  an  hour.  Then  Vivian  cried 
out  for  his  wife  and  Nathan  left  him. 

That  evening  Dennis  Masterman  came  to  see  the 
farmer,  and  on  the  following  day  he  called  again. 
None  knew  what  passed  between  them,  but  it  seemed 
that  by  some  happy  inspiration  the  clergyman  achieved 
what  Vivian  Baskerville's  wife  ana  brother  had  failed 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  205 

to  do.  Dennis  had  heard,  from  the  master  of  '  The 
White  Thorn,'  that  the  sick  man  was  passing  at  en- 
mity with  his  brother  and  with  his  son ;  but  he  strove 
successfully"  against  this  determination  and,  before  he 
left  Cadworthy,  Vivian  agreed  to  see  his  relations. 
The  day  was  already  waning  when  Ned  Baskerville 
himself  rode  to  fetch  Rupert,  and  the  lad  Humphrey 
hastened  to  Hawk  House. 

Eliza  Gollop  told  the  sequel  to  her  brother  after- 
wards. 

"  It  got  to  be  a  race  towards  the  end,  for  the  poor 
man  fell  away  all  of  a  sudden  after  three  o'clock. 
Nature  gived  out,  as  it  will  sometimes,  like  a  douted 
candle.  He'd  forgot  all  about  everything  afore  he 
died.  Only  his  grave  stuck  in  his  mind,  and  I  read 
over  the  epitaph  till  I  was  weary  of  it.  Then  he  went 
frightened  all  of  a  sudden.  '  To  think  o'  me  lying 
there  alone  among  dead  folk  of  evenings,  wi'  nought 
but  the  leather-birds  ^  squeaking  over  the  graves,'  he 
said.  *You  won't  be  there,  my  dear,'  I  told  him. 
'You'll  be  up  where  there's  no  sun  nor  yet  moon, 
bathing  for  evermore  in  the  light  of  righteousness.' 
Then  he  flickered  and  he  flickered,  and  wandered  in 
his  speech,  and  the  last  words  I  could  catch  was, 
*  What's  all  this  pucker  about?  I  shall  be  my  own 
man  again  in  a  day  or  two.'  He  was  hollow-eyed  and 
his  nose  growed  so  sharp  as  a  cobbler's  awl,  poor  dear, 
and  I  knowed  he'd  soon  be  out  of  his  misery.  His 
wife  was  along  with  him  when  he  died,  her  and  the  two 
daughters;  and  poor  Hester — Hester  I  call  her,  for 
she  let  me  use  the  Christian  name  without  a  murmur 
—  she  was  cut  in  half  listening  to  his  death-rattle  o' 
one  side  and  hoping  to  hear  her  son  Rupert  gallop  up 
'pon  the  other.  'Twas  a  race,  as  I  say  ;  but  Rupert 
had  been  long  ways  ofi^  to  work,  and  Ned  had  to  find 

^  Leather-birdi  —  bats. 


2o6  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

him,  and  what  with  one  thing  and  another,  his  father 
had  been  out  of  the  world  twenty  good  minutes  afore 
he  came.  He  runned  up  the  stairs  white  from  the 
clay-works.  But  there  was  only  more  clay  on  the  bed 
to  welcome  him.  I  left  'em  at  that  sacred  moment,  as 
my  custom  is,  and  went  down  house,  and  was  just  in 
time  to  see  Humphrey  Baskerville  ride  up  in  hot  haste 
on  his  one-eyed  pony.  *  How  is  it  with  him  ? '  he  said, 
getting  off  very  spry.  '  I  hope,  as  he  could  send  for 
me,  that  he  finds  hisself  better.'  *  Not  at  all,'  I  an- 
swered him.  '  The  poor  man  sent  because  he  was 
worse,  and  felt  himself  slipping  away.'  *  Then  I'd 
best  be  quick,'  he  replied  to  me  ;  and  I  broke  it  to 
him  that  'twas  too  late.  *  He's  gone,  sir,'  I  said. 
*  Like  the  dew  upon  the  fleece  he  be  gone.  Half  an 
hour  ago  he  died,  and  suffered  very  little  at  the  end, 
so  far  as  a  mortal  but  experienced  woman  can  tell  you.' 
He  stared  slap  through  me,  in  that  awful  way  he  has, 
then  he  turned  his  back  and  got  up  on  his  beast  and 
rode  off  without  a  word  or  a  sign.  Lord,  He  knows 
what  that  old  pony  must  have  thought  of  it  all.  'Twas 
sweating  and  staggering,  and,  no  doubt,  full  of  wonder 
and  rage  at  being  pushed  along  so  fast." 


END   OF   FIRST   BOOK 


Book  II 


BOOK    II 

CHAPTER    I 

UPON  the  highway  between  Cad  worthy  and  the 
border  village  of  Cornwood  there  stands  an  an- 
cient granite  cross.  For  many  years  the  broken 
head  reposed  in  the  heather ;  then  it  was  Hfted  upon 
the  pedestal  again  and  the  vanished  shaft  restored. 
To  north  and  south  the  white  road  sweeps  by  it ; 
easterly  tower  Penshiel  and  Pen  Beacon,  and  west- 
erly rolls  Shaugh   Moor. 

Here,  upon  a  day  one  year  after  the  death  of  Vivian 
Baskerville,  there  met  two  of  his  sons,  and  the  conver- 
sation that  took  place  between  them  served  roughly  to 
record  the  development  of  their  affairs,  together  with 
the  present  situation  and  future  interests  of  the  family. 

Ned  Baskerville  was  riding  home  from  Cornwood, 
and  his  brother  Rupert,  knowing  that  he  must  come 
this  way,  sat  by  St.  Rumon's  Cross,  smoked  his  pipe 
and  waited.  The  younger  had  found  himself  forgot- 
ten when  his  father's  will  came  to  be  read.  It  was  a 
pious  fiction  with  Hester  Baskerville  that  her  husband 
had  striven,  when  too  late,  against  his  own  hasty  deed. 
She  believed  that  near  his  end  the  dying  man  attempted 
to  repair  this  wrong.  She  declared  that  his  eyes  and 
his  mutterings  both  spoke  to  that  effect. 

But  the  fact  of  disinheritance  was  all  that  remained 
for  Rupert  to  face,  and  in  his  bitterness  he  had  turned 
from  his  family  and  continued  to  toil  at  the  china-clay 

F  209 


2IO  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

works,  despite  his  mother's  entreaties  and  Ned's  hand- 
some propositions. 

Now,  however,  the  case  was  altered.  After  nine 
months  of  this  unwisdom,  Milly  prevailed  with  Ru- 
pert to  go  back  to  Cadworthy  and  take  her  with  him. 
His  mother  was  thankful  to  welcome  him  home,  and 
Ned  did  what  he  might  to  further  the  prospect. 

Rupert  stood  within  sight  of  marriage,  and  he  and 
his  wife  were  presently  to  dwell  at  Cadworthy.  Then 
control  of  the  farm  would  be  made  over  by  Ned  Basker- 
ville  to  his  brother. 

Now  Rupert,  in  working  clothes,  sat  by  the  cross. 
Opportunity  to  see  Ned  was  not  always  easy,  for  the 
elder  lived  a  life  of  pure  pleasure  and  occupied  much 
of  his  time  from  home.  He  was  only  concerned  to 
spend  money,  but  showed  no  interest  in  the  sciences 
of  administering  and  making  it. 

He  rode  up  presently,  stopped,  and,  bending  over, 
shook  hands  with  his  brother,  but  did  not  dismount. 

"  Hullo  1  Don't  often  see  you  smoking  and  taking 
your  ease.  Look  at  my  new  mare.  Isn't  she  a  beauty  ? 
But  Lord  knows  what  Uncle  Nathan  will  say  when 
I  come  down  upon  him  for  the  cash.  And  I've  got 
another  unpleasant  surprise  in  store  for  him.  I've 
bought  a  horse  for  Cora.  It'll  be  my  wedding-present 
to  her,  but  she  may  as  well  have  it  now." 

"  Pity  we  couldn't  have  all  been  married  together ; 
then  one  fuss  and  flare  up  and  expense  would  have 
done  for  the  lot  of  us." 

"  I  shouldn't  have  minded  ;  but  she  didn't  take  to 
the  idea  at  all.  Wants  to  have  a  first-prize  wedding  all 
to  herself.     And  about  time  too.     I'm  sick  of  waiting." 

As  a  matter  of  fact  Ned  had  found  no  difficulty  in 
suspense.  With  possession  of  money,  life's  boundaries 
considerably  enlarged  for  him,  and  he  became  a  person 
of  increased  importance. 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  211 

Cora  was  not  jealous,  and  finding  Ned  extremely 
generous,  she  continued  content  with  the  engagement. 
The  present  year  was  to  see  her  married,  however ; 
but  when  Nathan  Baskerville  suggested  a  triple  wed- 
ding, Cora  objected  very  strongly.  She  intended  that 
her  nuptials  should  be  in  a  style  considerably  grander 
than  those  of  Milly  Luscombe,  or  Polly  Baskerville; 
but  she  finally  promised  Ned  to  marry  him  during  the 
fiallowing  autumn. 

"A  nice  mare,"  admitted  Rupert;  "she's  got  a 
temper,  though  —  won't  carry  beer.  I  know  the  man 
who  used  to  own  her.  She  very  near  broke  his  neck 
for  him  the  night  after  Cornwood  revel." 

"  The  horse  isn't  foaled  that  will  ever  throw  me, 
I   believe." 

"  I  reckon  not.  Well,  I'm  here  to'meet  you,  Ned. 
I  want  to  run  over  the  ground.  You  hate  business  so 
bad  that  'tis  difficult  to  talk  about  it  with  you  ;  but,  all 
the  same,  as  a  man  with  money  you  must  think  a  bit." 

"  Uncle  Nathan  thinks  for  me.  He  was  paid  to. 
Didn't  father  leave  him  fifty  pounds  to  be  trustee,  or 
whatever  'tis  ?  " 

"  But  you  never  will  look  ahead.  Uncle  Nathan, 
since  that  bad  bout  of  health  last  winter,  isn't  what  he 
was.  Clever  enough,  I  grant ;  but  he  has  got  his 
own  affairs,  and  his  own  worries  too,  for  that  matter. 
Everything  be  safe  and  proper  in  his  hands ;  but  sup- 
pose he  fell  ill  ?     Suppose  he  was  to  die  ?  " 

"  You're  such  a  beggar  for  supposing.  Never  meet 
troubles  half-way  —  that's  my  rule,  and  I've  found  it 
work  very  well  too.  I  trust  Uncle  Nathan  like  the 
rest  of  the  world  trusts  him.  I  sign  his  blessed  papers 
and  I  get  my  quarter's  allowance  very  regular,  with  a 
bit  of  money  over  and  above  when  I  want  it,  though 
he  grumbles.  I  ask  for  no  more  but  to  be  allowed  to 
enjoy  life  as  long  as  I  can." 


212  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

"  I'm  going  to  do  this  anyway,"  said  Rupert.  "  I'll 
tell  you  my  hopes  and  plans.  'Tis  right  and  wise  to 
make  plans  and  look  ahead  and  set  yourself  a  task. 
And  my  task  be  to  get  Cadworthy  Farm  away  from 
you  for  my  own  in  twenty  years  from  the  time  I  go 
there." 

"I  shan't  object  —  be  sure  of  that.  'Tisn't  likely 
I'd  make  hard  terms  with  my  own  brother.  You  go 
in  as  my  tenant  at  just  what  rent  you  please  to  pay  in 
reason ;  and  you  pay  me  as  much  over  and  above  the 
rent  as  you  can  afford  till  the  price  of  the  farm  is  pol- 
ished off.  And  mother  stops  with  you,  and  May 
stops  with  you.  Mother  has  her  allowance  and  May 
has  hers,  so  they'll  be  no  charge  on  you.  And  I  stop 
too  —  till  I'm  married." 

"  That's  all  clear,  then." 

"  Yes  ;  and  what  I'm  going  to  do  is  this.  It  seems 
there  are  things  called  sleeping  partnerships — jolly 
convenient  things  too.  All  you  do  is  to  find  a  good, 
safe,  established  business  that  wants  a  bit  of  cash. 
And  you  put  your  cash  in,  and  just  go  to  the  business 
once  in  a  blue  moon  and  sign  your  name  in  a  book  or 
two  and  draw  your  fees,  and  there  you  are  !  Uncle 
Nathan's  on  the  look-out  for  some  such  a  thing  for  a 
bit  of  my  money.  And  I  hope  it  will  be  in  Plymouth 
for  choice,  because  Cora's  frightfully  keen  to  be  near 
Plymouth.  She  wants  to  make  some  decent  woman 
pals,  naturally.  It's  ridiculous  such  a  girl  messing 
about  in  a  hole  hke  Shaugh.  She  hinted  at  a  shop, 
but  I  won't  have  that  for  a  moment." 

"All  the  same,  I  don't  see  why  you  shouldn't  try 
and  look  out  for  something  that  would  give  you  a  bit 
of  work.  Work  won't  hurt  her  or  you.  You  must 
be  pretty  well  sick  of  doing  nothing  by  this  time,  I 
should  think." 

"  Far  from  it,"  declared  Ned.    "  I  find  myself  quite 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  213 

contented.  I  shall  turn  my  hand  to  work  presently. 
No  hurry  that  I  can  see.  I'm  learning  a  lot,  remem- 
ber that.  A  great  learner  I  am.  The  first  use  of 
money  is  to  learn  the  world,  Rupert.  That's  where 
that  old  fool  at  Hawk  House  has  messed  up  his  life. 
No  better  than  a  miser,  that  man.  A  spendthrift  may 
be  a  fool,  but  a  miser  always  is.  And  so  it  comes 
back  to  the  fact  that  Uncle  Humphrey's  a  fool,  as  I 
always  said  he  was  —  a  fool  and  a  beast  both." 

"  He's  different  enough  from  Uncle  Nathan,  I  grant 
you  —  can't  be  soft  or  gentle  ;  but  he's  no  fool,  and 
though  he  pretends  he's  not  interested  in  people,  he 
is.  Things  slip  out.  Look  how  he  reads  the  news- 
papers." 

"  Yet  now,  for  very  hatred  of  all  human  beings  — 
it  can't  be  for  anything  else  —  'tis  rumoured  he'll  leave 
Hawk  House  and  get  away  from  the  sight  of  roads 
even.  Susan  Hacker  told  mother,  not  a  week  agone, 
that  he  was  getting  restless  to  go  farther  off.  Pity  he 
don't  go  and  stick  his  head  in  Cranmere,  and  choke 
himself,  and  leave  you  and  me  and  a  few  other  dashing 
blades  to  spend  his  money.  We  ought  to  be  his  heirs 
—  all  of  us.  But  we  shan't  see  the  colour  of  his  cash, 
mark  me." 

"  You  won't.  He  hates  your  way  of  life.  But  he's 
got  no  quarrel  with  the  rest  of  us.  You  never  know 
with  a  man  like  him.  I'm  going  over  to  him  now; 
and  I've  got  a  tale  of  a  chap  that's  broke  his  legs.  He 
may  give  me  five  shillings  for  the  man's  wife.  He's 
done  it  before  to-day.  'Tis  in  him  to  do  kind  things, 
only  there's  no  easy  outlet  for  'em.  Keeps  his  good- 
ness bottled  up,  as  if  he  was  afraid  of  it." 

"You've  got  his  blind  eye,  I  reckon,"  said  Ned. 
"  It's  all  up  with  me  anyway.  I  look  t'other  way  when 
I  pass  him.  He'll  never  forgive  me  for  marrying 
Cora." 


214  The  three  brothers 

"  Well,  you'd  best  to  go  on  and  not  keep  your  horse 
dancing  about  no  longer." 

Ned  galloped  off,  and  his  brother,  having  sat  a  little 
longer  by  St.  Rumon's  Cross,  rose  and  struck  over 
Shaugh  Moor  in  the  direction  of  Humphrey  Basker- 
ville's  dwelling. 

The  old  man  was  expecting  his  nephew  and  came 
upon  the  waste  to  meet  him.  They  had  not  spoken 
together  for  many  days  and  Rupert  was  glad  to  see 
the  elder  again. 

A  year  had  stamped  its  record  upon  Humphrey 
Baskerville,  and  the  significance  of  his  son's  death 
might  now  be  perceived.  Mark's  passing  left  a  per- 
manent scar,  but  the  expected  callosity  of  spirit  by  no 
means  overtook  the  sufferer. 

Man,  if  he  did  not  delight  him,  bulked  upon  his 
mind  as  the  supreme  experience.  It  was  an  added 
tribulation  that,  upon  his  brother's  estrangement  and 
death,  one  of  the  few  living  beings  with  whom  he  en- 
joyed the  least  measure  of  intimacy  had  dropped  out 
of  his  life. 

And  now  he  became  increasingly  sensitive  to  the 
opinion  of  the  people  and  developed  a  morbidity  that 
was  new. 

Mrs.  Hacker  was  his  frank  intelligencer,  and  more 
than  once  he  smarted  to  hear  her  tell  how  sensible 
men  had  spoken  ill  of  him. 

Now  he  fell  into  talk  with  Rupert  and  uttered  the 
things  uppermost  in  his  mind. 

"  Well  enough  in  body,  but  sometimes  I  doubt  if 
my  brain's  all  it  used  to  be.  Mayhap  in  the  head  is 
where  I'll  go  first." 

Rupert  laughed.     "  Not  much  fear  of  that,  uncle." 

"  You  must  know,"  answered  the  other,  "  that  every 
man  in  this  life  has  to  suffer  a  certain  amount  of  in- 
justice.    From  the  king  on  his  throne  to  the  tinker 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  215 

in  his  garret,  there  are  thorns  stuffed  in  all  pillows. 
Human  nature  misunderstands  itself  at  every  turn, 
and  the  closest,  life-long  friends  often  catch  their  secret 
hearts  full  of  wonder  and  surprise  at  each  other.  But 
I  —  I've  had  more  than  my  share  of  that.  The  injus- 
tice that's  heaped  upon  me  is  insufferable  at  times. 
And  why.''  Because  I  don't  carry  my  heart  on  my 
sleeve,  and  won't  palter  with  truth  at  the  world's 
bidding." 

"  'Tis  only  fools  laugh  at  you  or  grumble  at  you." 

"  You're  wrong  there,"  answered  Humphrey.  "  The 
scorn  of  fools  and  the  snarl  of  evil  lips  are  a  healthy 
sign.  There  are  some  men  and  some  dogs  that  I 
would  rather  bark  at  me  than  not.  But  how  is  it  that 
wise  men  and  understanding  men  hold  aloof  and  say 
hard  things  and  look  t'other  way  when  I  pass  by  ?  " 

"  Lord  knows,"  answered  Rupert.  "  They'm  too 
busy  to  think  for  themselves,  I  suppose,  and  take  the 
general  opinion  that  you're  rather  —  rather  unsociable. 
You  do  many  and  many  a  kind  thing,  but  they  ban't 
known." 

"No  I  don't.  I  can't  —  'tisn't  my  nature.  Kind 
things  are  often  terrible  silly  things.  Leave  your 
Uncle  Nathan  to  do  the  kind  things.  He  did  a  kind 
thing  when  my  son  died  ;  and  I  felt  it.  For  warmth 
of  heart  there  never  was  such  another.  The  trouble 
that  man  takes  for  people  is  very  fine  to  see.  I'm  not 
saying  he's  wise.  In  fact,  I  don't  think  he  is  wise. 
To  do  other  folks'  work  for  'em  and  shelter  'em  from 
the  results  of  their  own  folly  is  to  think  you  know 
better  than  God  Almighty." 

"  He's  wonderful  good,  I'm  sure.  A  godsend  to 
my  mother.  Taken  all  the  business  over  for  her. 
When  father  died " 

"  Leave  that.  Keep  on  about  his  character,"  said 
Humphrey.     '"  There's  nought  so  interesting  to  a  man 


2i6  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

like  me  as  burrowing  into  human  nature  and  trying 
the  works.  Now,  in  your  Uncle  Nathan  you  see  one 
that  has  the  cleverness  to  make  nearly  every  human 
being  like  him  and  trust  him.  But  how  does  he  get 
his  hold  on  the  heart?  Is  it  by  shutting  his  eyes  to 
what  people  really  are,  like  I  shut  my  ears  to  Jack 
Head's  arguments  against  the  Bible;  or  is  it  by  sheer, 
stupid,  obstinate  goodness,  that  can't  see  the  weakness 
and  folly  and  wickedness  and  craft  of  human  beings  ^  " 

"He  puts  a  large  trust  in  his  fellow-creatures," 
answered  Rupert.  "  He  believes  everybody  is  good 
till  he's  proved  'em  bad." 

Humphrey  nodded. 

"  True  enough,  and  I'll  tell  you  what  that  means  in 
Nathan.  The  real  secret  of  sympathy  in  this  world  is 
to  be  a  sinner  yourself.  There's  no  end  to  the  tolera- 
tion and  forgiveness  and  large-mindedness  of  people, 
if  they  know  in  their  own  hearts  that  they  be  just  as 
bad.  A  wise  man  hedges,  and  never  will  be  shocked 
at  anything  —  why.''  Because  he  says,  'I  may  be 
found  out  too,  some  day.'  " 

He  broke  off  and  his  nephew  spoke. 

"  I  know  you're  just  as  kind,  really.  By  the  same 
token  I've  come  begging  to-day.  A  poor  Cornwood 
chap  has  had  a  bad  accident.  Market  merry  he  was 
and  got  throwed  off  his  pony.  He's  in  hospital  with 
both  legs  broke  and  may  not  recover,  and  his  wife 
and  four  children " 

"  What  about  his  club  ?  " 

"  He  wasn't  a  member  of  a  club." 

"  What's  his  name  ?  " 

"  Coombes." 

"  Drunk  too  ?  And  you  ask  me  to  take  my  money 
and  help  that  sort  of  man  .?      But  I  won't." 

"Perhaps,  in  strict  justice,  he  don't  deserve  it; 
but " 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  217 

"  Did  you  ask  your  Uncle  Nathan  for  him?" 

"  Yes.  It  shows  the  difference  between  you,  I 
suppose." 

"  He  gave  ^  " 

"  He  gave  me  ten  shiUings.  There's  a  nice  point 
to  argify  about.  Which  of  you  was  right.  Uncle 
Humphrey — you  or  Uncle  Nat?  You  can't  both  be 
right." 

"  We  can  both  be  right  and  both  be  wrong,"  an- 
swered the  old  man. 

"  Uncle  Nat  was  preaching  at  the  chapel  a  bit  ago, 
afore  he  had  his  illness ;  and  me  and  Milly  went  to 
hear  him." 

"  He  preaches,  does  he  ?  " 

"  Now  and  again  —  to  work  off  his  energy,  he  says. 
But  never  no  more  will  he.  His  voice  won't  stand  it, 
he  says.  He  chose  for  his  text  a  question,  and  he 
said  'twas  a  simple  and  easy  thing,  afore  we  took  any 
step  in  life,  to  ax  ourselves  and  say,  what  would  the 
Lord  do  ? " 

"Simple  enough  to  ask  —  not  so  simple  to  answer." 

"  He  seemed  to  think  'twas  as  simple  to  answer  as 
to  ask." 

"  His  brain  isn't  built  to  see  the  difficulties.  Jack 
Head  laughs  at  all  these  here  Tory  Christians.  He 
says  that  a  man  can  no  more  be  a  Tory  and  a  Chris- 
tian than  he  can  walk  on  water.  He  says,  flat  out, 
that  Christ  was  wrong  here  and  there  —  right  down 
wrong.  Mind,  I  don't  say  so;  but  Head  will  argue 
for  it  very  strong  if  you'll  let  him." 

"  Uncle  Nat  wouldn't  hear  of  that." 

"  Nor  would  I.  I've  got  as  much  faith  as  my 
brother.  And  as  to  what  Christ  would  do  or  would 
not  do  in  any  given  case,  'tis  a  matter  for  very  close 
reasoning,  because  we  act  only  seeing  the  outside  of  a 
puzzle  ;   He  would  act  seeing  the  inside.     To  say  that 


21 8  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

we  always  know  what  the  Lord  would  do,  is  to  say 
we're  as  wise  as  Him.  To  go  to  the  Bible  for  an 
answer  to  trouble  is  right  enough  though.  'Tis  like  a 
story  I  read  in  a  wise  book  a  few  nights  agone ;  for 
I've  taken  to  reading  a  terrible  lot  of  books  lately.  It 
told  how  two  fellows  fell  out  and  fought  like  a  pair  of 
martin-cats  over  a  bit  of  ground.  Each  said  'twas  his, 
and  presently  they  carried  their  trouble  to  a  wise  king, 
as  reigned  over  a  near  nation,  and  was  always  happy 
to  talk  sense  to  anybody  who  had  the  time  to  listen. 
So  to  the  neighbour  kingdom  they  went,  and  yet  never 
got  to  the  king  at  all.  And  why  not  ?  Because,  so 
soon  as  they  were  in  his  land,  they  found  the  spirit  and 
wisdom  of  him  working  like  barm  in  bread  throughout 
the  length  and  breadth  of  the  place.  They  saw  peace 
alive.  They  saw  the  people  living  in  brotherly  love 
and  unity  and  understanding.  They  saw  the  religion  of 
give  and  take  at  work.  They  saw  travellers  yielding 
the  path  to  each  other ;  they  saw  kindness  and  good- 
ness and  patience  the  rule  from  the  cradle  to  the  grave  ; 
and  they  felt  so  terrible  ashamed  of  their  own  little 
pitiful  quarrel  that  they  dursn't  for  decency  take  it 
afore  the  throne,  but  made  friends  there  and  then  and 
shared  the  strip  of  earth  between 'em.  And  so  'tis  with 
the  Bible,  Rupert :  you  bring  a  trouble  into  the  Lord's 
kingdom  and  you'll  find,  in  the  clear  light  shining 
there,  that  it  quickly  takes  a  shape  to  shame  you." 

"  'Tis  pretty  much  what  Uncle  Nat  said  in  other 
words.  But  didn't  it  ought  to  make  you  give  me  ten 
shillings  for  Coombes  ?  " 

"  'Tisn't  for  us  to  stand  between  the  State  and  its 
work." 

"  But  his  wife  and  children  ?  " 

"  The  sins  of  the  fathers  are  visited  on  the  children. 
Who  are  we  to  come  between  God  Almighty  and  His 
laws  ? " 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  ^19 

Rupert  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"Christ  Almighty  would  have  done  —  what?" 
asked  Mr.  Baskerville. 

Rupert  reflected. 

"  He'd  have  done  something,  for  certain.     Why,  of 

course  !      He'd    have    healed  the  man's  broken    legs 

first!" 

"  And    that's    what    mankind    is    doing    as    best    it 
>> 
can. 

"  And  if  the  man  dies  ?  " 

"  Then  the  State  will  look  after  his  leavings." 

"  You're  justice  itself,"  said  Rupert;  "but  man's 
justice  be  frosty  work." 

"  That's  right  enough.  Justice  and  mercy  is  the 
difference  between  God  and  Christ.  The  one's  a  terri- 
ble light  to  show  the  way  and  mark  the  rock  and  point 
the  channel  through  the  storm  ;  but  'twill  dazzle  your 
eyes  if  you  see  it  too  close,  remember.  And  t'other's 
to  the  cold  heart  what  a  glowing  fire  be  to  the  cold 
body." 

"And  I  say  that  Uncle  Nathan's  just  that  —  a  glow- 
ing, Christlike  sort  of  man,"  declared  the  younger 
fervently. 

"  Say  so  and  think  so,"  answered  his  uncle.  "  He 
stands  for  mercy  ;  and  I'll  never  say  again  that  he 
stands  for  mercy,  because  he  knows  he'll  stand  in  need 
of  mercy.  I'll  never  say  that  again.  And  I  stand  for 
justice,  and  hope  I'll  reap  as  I  have  sowed  —  neither 
better  nor  worse.  But  between  my  way  and  Nathan's 
way  is  yet  another  way  ;  and  if  I  could  find  it,  then  I 
should  find  the  thing  I'm  seeking." 

"The  way  of  justice  and  mercy  together,  I  suppose 
you  mean  ? " 

"  I  suppose  I  do.  But  I've  never  known  how  to  mix 
'em  and  keep  at  peace  with  my  own  conscience.  Jus- 
tice   is    firm    ground ;    mercy    is     not.      Man    knows 


2  20  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

that  very  well.  We  may  please  our  fellow-creatures 
with  it ;  but  for  my  part,  so  far  as  1  have  got  till  now, 
I'm  prone  to  think  that  mercy  be  God's  work  only  — 
same  as  vengeance  is.  For  us  'tis  enough  that  we  try 
to  be  just,  and  leave  all  else  in  higher  hands.  Life 
ban't  a  pretty  thing,  and  you  can't  hide  its  ugliness  by 
decorating  it  with  doubtful  mercies,  that  may  look 
beautiful  to  the  eye  but  won't  stand  the  stark  light 
of  right." 

"  Justice  makes  goodness  a  bit  hard  at  the  edges, 
however,"  answered  his  nephew.  "And  when  all's 
said,  if  mercy  be  such  treacherous  ground,  who  can 
deny  that  justice  may  give  way  under  us  too  now  and 
agam  r 

They  now  stood  at  the  door  of  Hawk  House. 

"Enter  in,"  said  Mr.  Baskerville.  "You  argue 
well,  and  there's  a  lot  in  what  you  say.  And  words 
come  all  to  this,  as  the  rivers  come  all  to  the  sea,  that 
we  know  nothing,  outside  Revelation.  And  now  let's 
talk  about  your  affairs.  When  is  your  marriage  going 
to  be?  Has  Milly  Luscombe  said  she  wants  me  to 
come  to  it?     Answer  the  truth." 


CHAPTER  II 

DENNIS  MASTERMAN  took  the  opportunity 
that  offered  after  a  service  to  meet  his  parish 
clerk  and  perambulate  the  churchyard.  For  the 
vicar's  sister  had  pointed  out  that  the  burying-ground 
of  St.  Edward's  was  ill-kept  and  choked  with  weeds. 

Overhead  the  bells  made  mighty  riot.  Two  wed- 
dings had  just  been  celebrated,  and  the  ringers  were 
doing  their  best. 

"  With  spring  here  again,  this  place  will  be  a  scandal," 
said  Dennis.  "You  must  set  to  work  in  earnest, 
Gollop,  and  if  it's  more  than  you  can  do  single-handed, 
you'd  better  get  help." 

"  Hay  is  hay,"  answered  the  other ;  "  and  the  Rev- 
erend Valletort  was  above  any  fidgets  like  what  some 
people  suffer  from  nowadays.  He  had  the  churchyard 
hay  as  his  right  in  his  opinion,  and,  given  a  good  year, 
us  made  a  tidy  little  rick  for  him.  *  All  flesh  is  grass,' 
he  used  to  say  in  his  wise  fashion, '  and  grass  is  not  the 
less  grass  because  it  comes  off  a  man's  grave.'  " 

"  I  think  differently.  To  make  hay  in  a  church- 
yard, Thomas,  is  very  bad  form,  and  shows  a  lack  of 
proper  and  delicate  feeling.  Anyway,  there's  to  be  a 
thorough  clean-up.  We've  got  a  lot  of  very  interest- 
ing graves  here,  and  when  people  come  and  ask  to  see 
the  churchyard  I  don't  like  wading  through  a  foot  of 
weeds.  Where's  the  famous  tomb  with  the  music 
book  and  bass  viol  on  it  ?  I  wanted  to  show  it  to  a 
man  only  last  week,  and  couldn't  find  it." 

Mr.  Gollop  led  the  way  and  indicated  a  slate  amid 
the  Baskerville  monuments. 


222  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

"  There  'tis.  A  fiddle  and  an  open  book ;  and 
the  book  actually  had  a  bit  of  the  Old  Hundredth  — 
the  music,  I  mean  —  scratched  on  it  when  first  'twas 
set  up.  But  time  have  eaten  that  off,  I  believe.  He 
was  a  fine  fiddler  in  the  days  afore  the  organs  was  put 
in  the  church,  and  then  he  had  to  go  ;  and  he  soon 
died  after  the  joy  of  playing  on  Sundays  was  taken 
from  him.      He  made  up  his  verse  himself. " 

Mr.  Gollop  drew  back  the  herbage  from  this  slate 
and  read  out  the  rhyme  half  hidden  beneath. 

**  *  Praises  on  tombs  are  to  no  purpose  spent, 
A  man's  good  name  is  his  own  monument.' 

"  But  a  good  name  don't  last  as  long  as  a  good  slate, 
when  all's  said.  There's  Vivian  Baskerville's  stone, 
you  see.  'Tis  a  great  addition  to  the  row,  and  cost 
seven  pounds  odd.  And  there  lieth  the  suicide,  as 
should  be  yonder  if  justice  had  been  done.  But 
Humphrey  Baskerville  don't  mean  to  take  his  place 
in  the  family  row.  Like  him,  that  is.  Won't  even 
neighbour  with  his  fellow  dust." 

"  You  oughtn't  to  repeat  such  nonsense,  Gollop." 

"Nonsense  or  no  nonsense,  'tis  the  truth.  Here's 
the  place  he's  chosen,  and  bought  it,  too,  right  up  in 
this  corner,  away  from  everybody ;  and  his  gravestone 
is  to  turn  its  back  upon  t'other  dead  folk  —  hke  he's 
always  turned  his  back  upon  the  living." 

Mr.  Gollop  indicated  a  lonely  corner  of  the  church- 
yard. 

"  That's  where  he's  going  to  await  the  trump." 

"  Well,  that's  his  business,  poor  man.  He's  a  good 
Christian,  anyway." 

"  If  coming  to  church  makes  him  so,  he  may  be ; 
but  Christian  is  as  .Christian  does  in  my  opinion. 
Show  me  a  man  or  beast  as  be  the  better  for  Humphrey 
Baskerville,  and  I'll  weigh  up  what  sort  of  Christian 
he  may  be." 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  223 

"  Judge  nobody ;  but  get  this  place  respectable  and 
tidy.  No  half  measures,  Gollop.  And  you'll  have  to 
work  out  all  those  unknown  mounds  with  a  pair  of 
shears.  They  are  running  together,  and  will  disappear 
in  a  year  or  two.  And  that  pile  of  broken  slates  in 
the  corner  had  better  be  carted  away  altogether.  You 
ought  to  know  the  graves  they  belong  to,  but  of  course 
on  t. 

"  No,  I  don't,  and  more  don't  any  other  living  man. 
I  ban't  God  Almighty,  I  believe,  'Tis  Miss  Master- 
man  have  put  you  on  to  harrying  me  out  of  my  seven 
senses  this  way,  and  I  wish  she'd  mind  her  own  busi- 
ness and  let  me  mind  mine." 

"  No  need  to  be  insolent.  I  only  ask  you  to  mind 
your  own  business.  If  you'd  do  that  we  should  never 
have  a  word." 

Mr.  Gollop  grunted  rudely.  When  conquered  in 
argument  he  always  reserved  to  himself,  not  the  right 
of  final  speech,  but  the  licence  of  final  sound.  On 
these  occasions  he  uttered  a  defiant,  raucous  explosion, 
pregnant  with  contempt  and  scorn,  then  he  hurried  away. 
At  times,  under  exceptional  stress,  he  would  also  per- 
mit himself  an  offensive  gesture  before  departing. 
This  consisted  in  lifting  his  coat-tail  and  striking  the 
part  of  his  person  that  occurred  beneath  it.  But  such 
an  insult  was  reserved  for  his  acquaintance ;  obviously 
it  might  not  be  exploited  against  the  vicar  of  the  parish. 

Now  Gollop  marched  off  to  *  The  White  Thorn,' 
and  Masterman,  turning,  found  that  the  man  of  whom 
they  had  recently  spoken  walked  alone  not  far  off. 
Dennis  instantly  approached  him.  It  was  his  wish  to 
know  this  member  of  his  congregation  better,  but 
opportunity  to  do  so  had  been  denied.  Now  there 
was  no  escape  for  Humphrey  Baskerville,  because  the 
minister  extended  his  hand  and  saluted  him. 

"  How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Baskerville  ?     Glad  to  see 


2  24  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

you.  A  pretty  pair  of  weddings,  and  two  very  popular 
young  couples,  I  fancy." 

Humphrey  admitted  it. 

"  There's  no  better  or  harder  working  man  about 
here  than  my  nephew  Rupert  Baskerville,"  he  said. 

"  So  I  understand.  Not  much  of  a  church-goer, 
though,  I'm  afraid.  However,  perhaps  he'll  come 
oftener  now.  The  bells  make  the  tower  shake,  I  do 
believe.  We've  never  had  the  tenor  bell  rung  like 
your  son  rang  it,  Mr.  Baskerville." 

The  old  man  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  I  always  fancy  so ;  but  then,  I've  a  right  to  fancy 
so.  I  was  his  father.  No  doubt  'tis  folly.  One  pair 
of  hands  can  pull  a  rope  as  well  as  another.  But  *  as 
the  heart  thinketh,  so  the  bell  clinketh,'  though  the 
heart  of  man  is  generally  wrong.  My  son  would  have 
done  his  best  to-day,  no  doubt,  though  such  was  his 
nature  that  he'd  sooner  toll  alone  than  peal  in  com- 
pany." 

"  Are  you  going  to  the  wedding  breakfast  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  not  that  they  really  want  me.  'Twas  only 
because  the  boys  and  girls  wouldn't  take  *  no  '  for  an 
answer  that  I  go.  I  doubt  whether  they're  in  earnest. 
But  I'm  glad  to  be  there  too." 

"  Who  was  the  fine  young  brown  fellow  in  the 
Baskerville  pew  beside   Mrs.   Baskerville?" 

"  Nathan  Baskerville  the  younger.  Called  after 
my  brother,  the  innkeeper.  He's  just  off  the  sea 
for  a  bit." 

"  A  handsome  man." 

"  He  is  for  certain." 

"  Well,  I'm  very  glad  to  meet  you.  I  was  telling 
Gollop  that  our  graves  are  not  worthy  of  us.  We 
must  make  the  churchyard  tidier." 

They  had  reached  the  lich-gate  and  Dennis  held 
Mr.  Baskerville's  pony  while  he  mounted  it. 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  225 

"  Thank  you,"  said  the  elder. 

"  By  the  way,  I've  never  called  at  Hawk  House, 
because  I've  been  told  you  wouldn't  care  about  it." 

"As  to  that,  'tisn't  whether  I'd  care  or  not,  'tis 
whether  you  ought  to  call  or  not." 

"  You're  right.  Then  come  I  shall.  How  about 
next  Friday  ?  " 

"  I  shall  be  there." 

"  I  hear  you're  a  great  reader,  Mr.  Baskerville. 
I  might  lend  you  some  of  my  books  —  and  gladly 
would  do  so,  if  you'd  care  to  have  them." 

"Thank  you,  I'm  sure.  A  kindly  thought  in  you. 
'Tis  no  great  art  to  think  kindly;  but  let  the  thought 
blossom  out  into  a  deed  and  it  grows  alive.  Yes,  I 
read  a  lot  now  since  my  son  died.  Jack  Head  is  a 
reading  man,  likewise;  but  he  reads  terrible  dangerous 
books.  He  lent  me  one  and  I  burnt  it.  Yes,  I  burnt 
it,  and  told  him  so." 

"  Probably  you  were  right." 

"  No,  I  wasn't.  He  showed  me  very  clearly  that  I 
was  wrong.  You  can't  burn  a  book.  A  bad  book 
once  out  in  the  world  is  like  a  stone  once  flung  —  it 
belongs  to  the  devil.  Not  but  what  Jack  Head  says 
many  things  that  can't  be  answered  —  worse  luck." 

"  I  wish  he'd  bring  his  difficulties  to  me." 

"  You  needn't  wish  that.  He  s  got  no  difficulties. 
He  5  going  with  the  wind  and  tide.  'Tis  you,  not 
him  —  'tis  you  and  me,  and  the  likes  of  us  —  that 
will  be  in  difficulties  afore  long.  I  see  that  plain 
enough.  'Tis  idle  to  be  blind.  I  shall  die  a 
Christian,  and  so  will  you,  and  so  belike  will  your 
childer,  if  ever  you  get  any  ;  but  all's  in  a  welter  of 
change  now,  and  very  like  your  grandchilder  will  think 
'twas  terrible  funny  to  have  a  parson  for  a  grandfather. 
Jack  Head  says  they'll  put  stuffed  curates  in  the  Brit- 
ish Museum  afore  three  generations." 

Q 


226  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

"  A  free-thought  wave,"  said  Dennis.  "  Be  under 
no  concern,  Mr.  Baskerville.  Christianity  is  quite 
unassailable.      Remember  the  Rock  it's  founded  on." 

"  'Tis  the  rock  it  will  split  on  be  the  thing  to  con- 
sider. However,  if  you've  got  any  books  that  stand 
for  our  side,  I  shall  thank  you  to  lend  'em  to  me. 
Jack's  had  it  all  his  own  way  of  late." 

"  I'll  bring  some,"  declared  Masterman. 

They  parted,  and  Humphrey  trotted  off  on  his  pony. 

Meantime  at  *  The  White  Thorn '  a  considerable 
gathering  had  met  to  discuss  the  weddings,  and  Na- 
than Baskerville,  his  namesake,  the  sailor,  Heathman 
Lintern,  Joe  Voysey,  and  others  enjoyed  a  morning 
drink.  For  some  the  entertainment  was  now  ended, 
but  not  a  few  had  been  bidden  to  the  feast  at  Cad- 
worthy,  where  a  double  banquet  was  planned,  and 
many  would  soon  set  out  on  foot  or  in  market-carts 
for  the  farm. 

"  One  may  hope  for  nought  but  good  of  these  here 
weddings,"  said  Voysey.  "  There's  only  one  danger 
in  my  judgment,  and  that  is  for  two  of  the  young 
people  to  set  up  living  with  the  bridegroom's  mother ; 
but  Rupert  ban't  Hester  Baskerville's  favourite  son, 
I  believe.  If  he  was  it  certainly  wouldn't  work. 
The  poor  chap  would  be  pulled  in  two  pieces  be- 
tween mother  and  wife.  However,  if  the  mother 
ban't  jealous  of  him,  it  may  do  pretty  well." 

"  When  Master  Ned  marries,  he'll  have  to  go  a  bit 
further  off,"  said  the  innkeeper. 

'*  How  is  it  brother  Ned  ban't  married  a'ready  ? " 
asked  the  younger  Nathan.  "  Why,  'tis  more  than  a 
year  agone  since  I  heard  from  my  sister  that  he  was 
going  to  marry  Heathman's  sister,  and  yet  nothing 
done.  I'd  make  her  name  the  day  jolly  quick  if 
'twas  me." 

Heathman  laughed  and  shook  his  head. 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  227-, 

"  No,  you  wouldn't,  Nat.  You  don't  know  Cora. 
None  will  hurry  her  if  she's  not  minded  to  hurry. 
Ned  has  done  what  he  could,  and  so  have  I  —  and 
so  has  my  mother.  But  she's  in  no  haste.  Likes 
being  engaged  and  making  plans,  getting  presents, 
and  having  a  good  time  and  being  important." 

"  The  autumn  will  see  them  married,  however," 
declared  Mr.  Baskerville.  "  I've  told  Master  Ned 
that  he'll  have  to  draw  in  his  horns  a  bit,  for  he's 
not  made  of  money,  though  he  seems  to  think  so. 
'Twill  be  his  best  economy  to  marry  pretty  quick 
and  settle  down.  Never  was  a  man  with  wilder  ideas 
about  money  ;  but  Cora's  different.  She's  a  woman 
with  brains.  He'll  do  well  to  hand  her  over  the 
purse." 

"  She  wants  to  start  a  shop  at  Plymouth,"  said 
Heathman.  "  A  shop  for  hats  and  women's  things. 
But  Ned's  against  it.  He  says  she  shan't  work  — 
not  while  he  can  help  it ;  and  as  he  certainly  won't 
work  himself  while  he  can  help  it,  we  must  hope 
they've  got  tons  of  money." 

"  Which  they  have  not,"  answered  Nathan  Basker- 
ville. "  And  the  sooner  Ned  understands  that  and 
gives  ear  to  me,  the  better  for  his  peace  of  mind." 

Mr.  Gollop  entered  at  this  moment.  He  was 
ruffled   and   annoyed. 

"That  man!"  he  moaned,  "that  headstrong,  rash 
man  will  be  the  death  of  me  yet.  Of  course,  I  mean 
Masterman.  Won't  let  the  dead  rest  in  their  graves 
now.  Wants  the  churchyard  turned  into  a  pleasure- 
ground  seemingly.  Must  be  mowing  and  hacking 
and  tacking  and  trimming ;  and  no  more  hay ;  and 
even  they  old  holy  slates  in  the  corner  to  be  carted 
off  as  if  they  was  common  stones." 

"  Lie  low  and  do  nought,"  advised  Joe  Voysey. 
"'Tis  a  sort  of  fever  that  takes  the  gentleman  off 


228  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

and  on.  He  catches  the  fit  from  his  sister.  She'll 
be  down  on  me  sometimes,  with  all  her  feathers  up 
and  everything  wrong.  I  must  set  to  that  instant 
moment  and  tidy  the  garden  for  my  dear  life,  till  not 
a  blade  be  out  of  place.  Likes  to  see  the  grass  plot 
so  sleek  as  a  boy's  head  after  Sunday  pomatum.  But 
the  way  Is  to  listen  with  all  due  and  proper  attention, 
as  becomes  us  afore  our  betters,  and  then  —  forget  it. 
The  true  kindness  and  charity  be  to  let  'em  have  their 
talk  out,  and  even  meet  'em  in  little  things  here  and 
there  —  if  it  can  be  done  without  loss  of  our  self- 
respect.  But  we  understand  best.  Don't  you  never 
forget  that,  Thomas.  Where  the  yard  and  the  gar- 
den be  concerned,  you  and  me  must  be  first  in  the 
land.  They  be  children  to  us,  and  should  be  treated 
according.  We've  forgot  more  than  they  ever 
knowed  about  such  things." 

Others  came  and  went ;  Joe  and  Thomas  ma- 
tured their  Fabian  tactics ;  Nathan  Baskerville,  with 
his  nephew  and  young  Lintern,  set  off  in  a  pony  trap 
for  Cadworthy.  The  bells  still  rioted  and  rang  their 
ceaseless  music ;  for  these  new-made  wives  and  hus- 
bands were  being  honoured  with  the  long-drawn, 
melodious  thunder  of  a  full  five-bell  *  peal.' 


CHAPTER   III 

CORA  LINTERN  waited  for  Ned  Baskerville  at 
the  fork  of  the  road  above  Shaugh.  Here,  in 
the  vicarage  wall,  the  stump  of  a  village  cross 
had  been  planted.  Round  about  stitchwort  flashed  its 
spring  stars,  and  foxgloves  made  ready,  while  to  the 
shattered  symbol  clung  ivy  tighter  than  ever  lost  sin- 
ner seeking  sanctuary. 

Upon  a  stone  beneath  sat  the  woman  in  Sunday 
finery,  and  she  was  beautiful  despite  her  garments. 
They  spoke  of  untutored  taste  and  a  mind  ignorantly 
attracted  by  the  garish  and  the  crude.  But  her  face 
was  fair  until  examined  at  near  range.  Then  upon  the 
obvious  beauty,  Hke  beginning  of  rust  in  the  leaf,  there 
appeared  delicate  signs  of  the  spirit  within.  Her  eyes 
spoke  unrest  and  her  mouth  asperity.  The  shadow 
of  a  permanent  line  connected  her  eyebrows  and  prom- 
ised a  network  too  soon  to  stretch  its  web,  woven  by 
the  spiders  of  discontent,  upon  her  forehead. 

Cora  built  always  upon  to-morrow,  and  she  suffered 
the  fate  of  those  that  do  so.  She  was  ambitious  and 
vain,  and  she  harboured  a  false  perspective  in  every 
matter  touching  her  own  welfare,  her  own  desert,  and 
her  own  position  in  the  world.  She  largely  overrated 
her  beauty  and  her  talents.  She  was  satisfied  with 
Ned  Baskerville,  but  had  ceased  to  be  enthusiastic 
about  him.  A  year  of  his  society  revealed  definite 
limitations,  and  she  understood  that  though  her  hus- 
band was  well-to-do,  he  would  never  be  capable.  The 
power  to  earn  money  did  not  belong  to  him,  and  she 
rated  his  windy  optimisms  and  promises  at  their  just 

229 


230 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS 


value.  She  perceived  that  the  will  and  intellect  were 
hers,  and  she  knew  that,  once  married,  he  would  follow 
and  not  lead.  The  advantage  of  this  position  out- 
weighed the  disadvantages.  She  desired  to  live  in  a 
town,  and  rather  favoured  the  idea  of  setting  up  a 
shop,  to  be  patronised  by  the  local  leaders  of  rank  and 
fashion.  She  loved  dress,  and  believed  herself  pos- 
sessed of  much  natural  genius  in  matters  sartorial. 

At  present  Ned  absolutely  refused  any  suggestion 
of  a  shop  ;  but  she  doubted  not  that  power  rested  with 
her  presently  to  insist,  if  she  pleased  to  do  so.  He 
was  a  generous  and  fairly  devout  lover.  He  more 
than  satisfied  her  requirements  in  that  direction.  She 
had,  indeed,  cooled  his  ardour  a  little,  and  she  supposed 
that  her  common-sense  was  gradually  modifying  his 
amorous  disposition.  But  another's  common-sense  is 
a  weak  weapon  against  lust,  and  Ned's  sensual 
energies,  dammed  by  Cora,  found  secret  outlet  else- 
where. 

So  it  came  about  that  he  endured  the  ordeal  of  the 
lengthy  engagement  without  difficulty,  and  the  girl 
wore  his  fancied  sobriety  and  self-control  as  a  feather 
in  her  cap.  When  she  related  her  achievement  to 
Ned  and  explained  to  him  how  much  his  character 
already  owed  to  her  chastening  influence,  he  admitted 
it  without  a  blush,  and  solemnly  assured  her  that  she 
had  changed  his  whole  attitude  to  the  sex. 

Now  the  man  arrived,  and  they  walked  together  by 
Beatland  ,  Corner,  southerly  of  Shaugh,  upon  the 
moor-edge. 

Their  talk  was  of  the  autumn  wedding  and  the  ne- 
cessity for  some  active  efforts  to  decide  their  domicile. 
Cora  was  for  a  suburb  of  Plymouth,  but  Ned  wanted 
to  live  in  the  country  outside.  The  shop  she  did  not 
mention  after  his  recent  strong  expressions  of  aversion 
from  it ;  but  she  desired  the  first  step  to  be  such  that 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  231 

transition  to  town  might  easily  follow,  when  marriage 
was  accomplished  and  her  power  became  paramount. 

They  decided,  at  length,  to  visit  certain  places  that 
stood  between  town  and  country  above  Plymouth. 
There  were  Stoke  and  Mannamead  to  see.  A  villa 
was  Cora's  ambition  —  a  villa  and  two  servants.  Ned's 
instincts,  on  the  other  hand,  led  to  a  small  house  and 
a  large  stable.  He  owned  some  horses  and  took  great 
part  of  his  pleasure  upon  them.  Since  possession  of 
her  own  steed,  however,  Cora's  regard  for  riding  had 
diminished.  It  was  her  way  to  be  quickly  satisfied 
with  a  new  toy.  Now  she  spoke  of  a  '  victoria,'  so 
that  when  she  was  married  she  might  drive  daily  upon 
her  shopping  and  her  visiting. 

"  The  thing  is  to  begin  well,"  she  said.  "  People 
call  according  to  your  house,  and  often  the  difference 
between  nice  blinds  and  common  blinds  will  decide 
women  whether  they'll  visit  a  newcomer  or  not.  With 
my  taste  you  can  trust  the  outside  of  your  home  to 
look  all  right,  Ned.  At  Mannamead  I  saw  the  very 
sort  of  house  I'd  like  for  us  to  have.  Such  a  style, 
and  I  couldn't  think  what  'twas  about  it  till  I  saw  the 
short  blinds  was  all  hung  in  bright  shining  brass  rods 
across  the  windows,  and  the  window-boxes  was  all 
painted  peacock-blue.  '  I'll  have  my  house  just  like 
that!'   I  thought." 

"  So  you  shall  —  or  any  colour  you  please.  And 
I'll  have  my  stable  smart  too,  I  promise  you.  White 
tiles  all  through.  I  shall  have  to  do  a  bit  myself,  you 
know — looking  after  the  horses,  I  mean — but  nobody 
will  know  it."  v 

"You'll  keep  a  man,  of  course?" 

"A  cheap  one.  Uncle  Nathan  went  into  figures 
with  me  last  week.  He  was  a  bit  vague,  and  I  was  a 
bit  impatient  and  soon  had  enough  of  it.  'All  I  want 
to  know,'  I  told  him,  '  is  just  exactly  what  income  I 


232  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

can  count  upon,'  and  he  said  five  hundred  a  year  was 
the  outside  figure.  Then,  against  that,  you  must  set 
that  he's  getting  a  bit  old  and,  of  course,  being  another 
person's  money,  he's  extra  cautious.  He  admitted 
that  if  I  sold  out  some  shares  and  bought  others,  I 
could  get  pretty  near  another  one  hundred  a  year  by 
it.  But,  of  course,  we've  got  to  take  a  bite  out  of  the 
money  for  furnishing  and  all  the  rest  of  it.  My  idea, 
as  you  know,  is  to  invest  a  bit  in  a  sleeping  partner- 
ship, but  he  hasn't  found  anything  of  the  sort  yet, 
apparently.  He's  not  the  man  he  was  at  finding  a 
bargain." 

Here  opened  a  good  opportunity  for  her  ambitions, 
and  Cora  ventured  to  take  it. 

"  I  wish  you'd  think  twice  about  letting  me  start 
a  little  business.  It's  quite  a  ladylike  thing,  or  I 
wouldn't  offer  it,  but  with  my  natural  cleverness  about 
clothes,  and  with  all  the  time  I've  given  to  the  fashions 
and  all  that  —  especially  with  the  hats  I  can  make  — 
it  seems  a  pity  not  to  let  me  do  it.  You  don't  want 
much  money  to  start  with,  and  I  should  soon  draw  the 
custom." 

"  No,"  he  said.  "  Time  enough  if  ever  we  get  hard 
up.  I'm  not  going  to  have  you  making  money.  'Tis 
your  business  to  spend  it.  You'll  be  a  lady,  with  your 
own  servants  and  all  the  rest  of  it.  You'll  walk  about, 
and  pick  the  flowers  in  your  garden,  and  pay  visits ; 
and  if  you  do  have  a  little  trap,  you  can  drive  out  to 
the  meets  sometimes  when  I  go  hunting.  Why,  damn 
it  all,  Cora,  I  should  have  thought  you  was  the  last 
girl  who  would  ever  want  to  do  such  a  thing !  " 

"That's  all  you  know,"  she  said.  "People  who 
keep  hat  shops  often  get  in  with  much  bigger  swells 
than  ever  we're  likely  to  know  at  Mannamead,  or 
Stoke  either.  They  come  into  the  shop  and  they 
see,  of  course,  I'm  a  lady,  and  I  explain  that  I  only 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  233 

keep  the  shop  for  fun,  and  then  I  get  to  know  them. 
I'd  make  more  swell  friends  in  my  hat  shop  than  ever 
you  do  on  your  horse  out  fox-hunting." 

"  I  know  a  lot  of  swells,  for  that  matter." 

"  Ask  'em  to  come  to  tea  and  then  you'll  see  if  you 
know  'em,"  she  said.  "  'Tis  no  use  for  us  to  be  silly. 
We're  poor  people,  compared  to  rich  ones,  and  we 
always  shall  be,  so  far  as  I  can  see.  We  must  be  con- 
tent with  getting  up  the  ladder  a  bit  —  and  that's  all  I 
ask  or  expect." 

"  I  know  my  place  all  right,  if  that's  what  you 
mean,"  answered  Ned.  "  I'm  not  anxious  to  get  in 
with  my  betters,  for  they're  not  much  use  to  me.  I'm 
easily  satisfied.  I  want  for  you  to  have  a  good  time, 
and  I  mean  for  myself  to  have  a  good  time.  You  can 
only  live  your  life  once,  and  a  man's  a  fool  to  let  worry 
come  into  his  life  if  he  can  escape  from  it.  The  great 
thing  in  the  world  is  to  find  people  who  think  as  you 
do  yourself  That's  worth  a  bit  of  trouble  ;  and  when 
you've  found  them,  stick  to  them.  A  jolly  good 
motto  too." 

They  spilt  words  to  feeble  purpose  for  another  half- 
hour,  and  then  there  came  an  acquaintance.  Timothy 
Waite  appeared  on  his  way  from  Coldstone  Farm. 
He  overtook  them  and  walked  beside  them. 

"I  suppose  you  don't  want  company,"  he  said,  "  but 
I'll  leave  you  half  a  mile  further  on." 

"  We  do  want  company,  and  always  shall,"  declared 
Cora.  "  And  yours  most  of  all,  I'm  sure.  We're 
past  the  silly  spoonmg  stage.  In  fact,  we  never  got 
into  it,  did  we,  Edward  ?  " 

"You  didn't,"  said  her  betrothed,  "and  as  you  didn't, 
I  couldn't.     Spooning  takes  two." 

Mr.  Waite  remained  a  bachelor  and  no  woman  had 
ever  been  mentioned  in  connection  with  him.  He  was 
highly  eligible  and,  indeed,  a  husband  much  to  be  de- 


234  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

sired.  He  enjoyed  prosperity,  good  looks,  and  a  repu- 
tation for  sense  and  industry. 

Cora  he  had  always  admired,  and  still  did  so.  At 
heart  he  wondered  why  she  had  chosen  Ned  Baskerville, 
and  sometimes,  since  the  marriage  hung  fire,  he  sus- 
pected that  she  was  not  entirely  satisfied  of  her  bargain 
and  might  yet  change  her  mind. 

He  would  have  married  her  willingly,  for  there  was 
that  in  her  practical  and  unsen.timental  character  which 
appealed  to  him.  He  had  indeed  contemplated  pro- 
posing when  the  announcement  of  young  Baskerville's 
engagement  reached  him.  He  met  Cora  sometimes  and 
always  admired  her  outlook  on  life.  He  did  so  now, 
yet  knowing  Ned  too,  doubted  at  heart  whether  the 
woman  had  arrested  his  propensities  as  completely  as 
she  asserted. 

"The  question  on  our  lips  when  you  came  along  was 
where  we  should  set  up  shop,"  said  Ned. 

"A  shop  is  what  I  really  and  truly  want  to  set  up," 
declared  Cora;  "but  Edward  won't  hear  of  it  —  more 
fool  him,  I  say.  He  can't  earn  money,  but  that's  no 
reason  why  I  shouldn't  try  to." 

Mr.  Waite  entirely  agreed  with  her. 

"  No  reason  why  you  shouldn't.  If  Cadworthy's  to 
be  handed  over  to  Rupert  and  you're  going  to  live  in 
Plymouth,  as  I  hear, "  he  said,  "  then  why  not  business ,? 
There's  nothing  against  it  that  I  know,  and  there's 
nothing  like  it.  If  I  wasn't  a  farmer,  I'd  keep  a  shop. 
For  that  matter  a  farmer  does  keep  a  shop.  Only  dif- 
ference that  I  can  see  is  that  he  has  fields  instead  of  cup- 
boards and  loses  good  money  through  the  middleman 
between  him  and  his  customers.  I'm  going  to  take 
another  stall  in  Plymouth  market  after  Midsummer. 
There's  nought  like  market  work  for  saving  cash." 

"And  as  nearly  half  our  money  will  come  from  the 
rent  that  Rupert  pays  for  Cadworthy,  we  shall  be  living 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS 


'35- 


by  a  shop  in  a  sense  whether  you  pretend  to  or  not," 
added  Cora. 

But  Ned  denied  this.  He  aired  his  views  on  political 
economy,  while  Waite,  who  valued  money,  yet  valued 
making  it  still  more,  reduced  the  other's  opinions  to 
their  proper  fatuity  and  laughed  at  him  into  the  bargain. 

Timothy's  contempt  for  Baskerville  was  not  con- 
cealed. He  even  permitted  himself  a  sly  jest  or  two 
at  the  expense  of  the  other's  mental  endowments;  and 
these  thrusts,  while  unfelt  by  the  victim,  stabbed  Cora's 
breast  somewhat  keenly.  Even  Timothy's  laughter, 
she  told  herself,  was  more  sane  and  manly  than  Ned's. 

She  fell  into  her  own  vice  of  contrasting  the  thing 
she  had  with  the  thing  she  had  not,  to  the  detriment 
of  the  former.  It  was  an  instinct  with  her  to  under- 
value her  own  possessions ;  but  the  instinct  stopped  at 
herself — an  unusual  circumstance. 

With  herself  and  her  attributes  of  mind  and  body, 
she  never  quarrelled;  it  was  only  her  environment  that 
by  no  possibility  compared  favourably  with  that  of 
other  people.  Her  mother,  her  sister,  her  brother, 
her  betrothed,  and  her  prospects  —  none  but  seemed 
really  unworthy  of  Cora  when  dispassionately  judged 
by  herself 

Now  she  weighed  Timothy's  decision  against  Ned's 
doubt,  his  knowledge  against  Ned's  ignorance,  his 
sense  against  Ned's  nonsense.  She  felt  the  farmer's 
allusions,  and  she  throbbed  with  discomfort  because 
Ned  did  not  also  feel  them  and  retort  upon  Mr.  Waite 
in  like  manner.  She  told  herself  that  the  difference 
between  them  was  the  radical  difference  between  a  wise 
man  and  a  fool.  Then  she  fell  back  in  self-defence  of 
her  own  judgment,  and  assured  herself  that,  physically, 
there  could  be  no  comparison,  and  that  Ned  had  a 
better  heart  and  would  make  a  gentler  husband. 

Timothy  had  admired  her  —  she  remembered  that; 


236  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

but  he  was  caution  personified  and,  while  he  had  con- 
sidered, Ned  had  plunged.  She  strove  to  see  this  as  a 
virtue  in  Ned.  Yet  Timothy's  old  attitude  to  her  for- 
bade any  slighting  of  him.  She  remembered  very  well 
how,  when  he  congratulated  her  on  her  engagement,  he 
had  pointedly  praised  Ned  for  one  thing  alone :  his 
precipitation.  A  fault  at  other  seasons  may  be  a  virtue 
in  the  love  season. 

"  I  thought  him  not  very  clever,"  said  Timothy  on 
that  occasion  ;  "  but  now  I  see  he  was  cleverer  than 
any  of  us.  Because  he  was  too  clever  to  waste  a 
moment  in  getting  what  every  other  chap  wanted. 
We  learn  these  things  too  late." 

He  said  that  and  said  it  with  great  significance.  It 
comforted  Cora  now  to  remember  the  circumstance. 
Whatever  else  Ned  might  not  know,  he  knew  a  good 
deal  about  women  ;  and  that  would  surely  make  him 
by  so  much  a  better  husband.  Then  her  wits  told 
her  the  opposite  might  be  argued  from  this  premise. 
She  was  not  enjoying  herself,  and  she  felt  glad  when 
Waite  left  them.  Anon  Ned  rallied  her  for  length- 
ened taciturnity  and  even  hinted,  as  a  jest,  that  he 
believed  she  was  regretting  her  choice. 

They  turned  presently  and  went  back  over  Shaugh 
Moor  to  drink  tea  at  the  man's  home.  But  upon 
the  threshold  Cora  changed  her  mind.  She  pleaded 
headache  and  some  anxiety  about  her  health. 

"  I've  got  a  cold  coming  —  else  I  wouldn't  be  so 
low-spirited,"  she  said.  "  I'll  get  back  through  North 
Wood  and  go  to  bed  early." 

He  instantly  expressed  utmost  solicitation  and 
concern. 

"  I'll  come  back  with  you,  then.  If  you  Hke,  I'll 
put  in  the  pony  and  drive  you,"  he  said.  But  she 
would  neither  of  these  things. 

"  I  shall  be  all  right.     You  go  in  and  have  your  tea, 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  237 

and  don't  trouble.  I'll  get  back  by  the  wood  path, 
and  you'll  find  I  shall  be  better  to-morrow." 

"  'Tis  that  flimsy  dress  that  lets  the  wind  through 
like  a  net,"  he  said.  "  The  weather's  not  right  for 
such  clothes  as  you  will  wear." 

But  she  laughed  and  told  him  to  mind  his  own 
business.  Then  she  kissed  him  on  the  cheek  and 
went  away. 

He  stood  doubtful.  First  he  felt  moved  to  follow 
her,  and  then  he  changed  his  mind.  He  knew  Cora 
better  than  she  thought  he  did,  and  he  was  aware  that 
at  the  present  moment  she  felt  perfectly  well  but  de- 
sired to  be  alone. 

He  had  not  missed  the  significance  of  Mr.  Waite's 
views  on  his  sweetheart's  mind,  though  he  had  failed 
to  appreciate  Timothy's  sly  humour  at  his  own  ex- 
pense. 

Now,  therefore,  he  let  Cora  have  her  will  and  made 
no  further  effort  to  overtake  her.  He  waited  only 
until  she  looked  back,  as  he  knew  she  would  ;  then 
he  kissed  his  hand,  turned,  and  departed. 

She  passed  along  through  the  forest  homeward,  and, 
when  hidden  in  a  silent  place,  dusted  a  stone  and  sat 
down  to  think. 

A  wild  apple  tree  rose  above  her,  half  smothered  in 
a  great  ivy-tod.  But  through  the  darkness  of  the 
parasite,  infant  sprays  of  bright  young  foliage  sprang 
and  splashed  the  gloomy  evergreen  with  verdure. 

Aloft,  crowning  this  gnarled  and  elbowed  crab,  burst 
out  a  triumphant  wreath  of  pale  pink  blossom  — 
dainty,  diaphanous,  and  curled.  Full  of  light  and 
pearly  purity  it  feathered  on  the  bough,  and  its  tender 
brightness  was  splashed  with  crimson  beads  of  the 
flower-buds  that  waited  their  time  and  turn  to  open. 

Higher  still,  dominating  the  tree,  thrust  forth  a 
crooked,  naked  bough  or  two.     They  towered,  black. 


238  THE    THREE    BROTHERS 

dead,  and  grim  above  the  loveliness  of  the  living  thing 
beneath. 

From  reflections  not  agreeable,  this  good  sight  at- 
tracted Cora  and  turned  the  tide  of  her  thoughts. 
Even  here  the  instinct  of  business  dominated  any 
sentiment  that  might  have  wakened  in  another  spirit 
before  such  beauty.  She  gazed  at  it,  then  rose  and 
plucked  a  few  sprays  of  the  apple-blossom.  Next  she 
took  off  her  hat  and  began  to  try  the  effect  of  the 
natural  flowers  therein.  Her  efforts  pleased  her  not  a 
little. 

"  Lord !  What  a  hand  I  have  for  it !  "  she  said 
aloud.  Then,  refreshened  by  this  evidence  of  her 
skill,  she  rose  and  proceeded  to  Shaugh.  "  I  know 
one  thing,"  she  thought,  "  and  that  is,  man  or  no  man, 
I  shall  always  be  able  to  make  my  living  single-handed 
in  a  town.  'Tisn't  for  that  I  want  a  husband.  And 
be  it  as  'twill,  when  master  Ned  finds  a  lot  more 
money  coming  in,  he'd  very  soon  give  over  crying  out 
at  a  shop." 


CHAPTER   IV 

HUMPHREY  BASKERVILLE  still  sought 
to  determine  his  need,  and  sometimes  supposed 
that  he  had  done  so.  More  than  once  he  had 
contemplated  the  possibility  of  peace  by  flight ;  then 
there  happened  incidents  to  change  his  mind. 

Of  late  the  idea  of  a  home  further  from  distracting 
influences  had  again  seemed  good  to  him.  More  than 
once  he  considered  the  advantages  of  isolation ;  more 
than  once  he  rode  upon  the  Moor  and  distracted  his 
gloom  with  visions  of  imaginary  dwellings  in  regions 
remote. 

The  folly  of  these  thoughts  often  thrust  him  with 
a  rebound  into  the  life  of  his  fellow-beings,  and  those 
who  knew  him  best  observed  a  rhythmic  alternation  in 
Humphrey. 

After  periods  of  abstention  and  loneliness  would 
follow  some  return  to  a  more  sociable  style  of  living. 
From  a  fierce  hectic  of  mind  that  sent  him  sore  and 
savage  into  the  heart  of  the  wilderness,  he  cooled  and 
grew  temperate  again  as  the  intermittent  fever  passed. 

And  then,  when  the  effort  towards  his  kind  had 
failed  by  his  own  ineptitude  and  the  world's  mistrust, 
he  retreated  once  more  to  suffer,  and  banished  himself 
behind  the  clouds  of  his  own  restless  soul. 

Humanity  has  no  leisure  to  decipher  these  difficult 
spirits ;  the  pathos  of  their  attempts  must  demand  a 
philosophic  eye  to  perceive  it  ;  and  unless  kind  chance 
offers  the  key,  unless  opportunity  affords  an  explana- 
tion, the  lonely  but  hungry  heart  passes  away  un- 
fathomed,  sinks  to  the  grave  unread  and  unreconciled. 

239 


240  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

Inner  darkness  turned  Baskerville  to  the  Moor 
again,  and  he  rode  —  where  often  he  had  already 
ridden  :  to  inspect  the  ruin  of  an  old  dwelling  upon 
the  side  of  a  great  hill  above  the  waters  of  Plym. 

Brilliant  summer  smiled  upon  this  pilgrimage,  and 
as  he  went,  he  fell  in  with  a  friend,  where  Jack  Head 
tramped  the  high  road  upon  his  way  to  Trowles- 
worthy.  Jack  now  dwelt  at  Shaugh,  but  was  head 
man  of  Saul  Luscombe's  farm  and  rabbit  warren. 

"  A  fine  day,"  said  Humphrey  as  he  slowed  his 
pony. 

"  Yes,  and  a  finer  coming,"  answered  the  other. 
Mr.  Baskerville  was  quick  to  note  the  militant  tone. 

"  Been  at  your  silly  books  again,  I  warrant,"  he 
said.  "  There's  one  book  I  could  wish  you'd  read 
along  with  t'others.  Jack.  'Tis  the  salt  to  all  other 
books,  for  all  you  scorn  it." 

"  Bible's  a  broken  reed,  master,  as  you'll  live  to  find 
out  yet." 

"  No,  Jack.  'Tis  what  makes  all  other  writing  but 
a  broken  reed.  A  fountain  that  never  runs  dry,  I 
promise  you.  No  man  will  ever  get  the  whole  truth 
out  of  the  Bible." 

"  No,  by  Gor  !  Because  it  ban't  there,"  said  the 
other. 

"  It's  there  all  right  —  hidden  for  the  little  children 
to  find  it.  You  bandage  your  eyes  and  then  you  say 
you  can't  see  —  a  fool's  trick  that." 

"  I  can  see  so  far  as  you.  'Tis  you  pyt  coloured 
spectacles  on  your  nose  to  make  things  look  as  you'd 
have  'em.  Your  book  be  played  out,  master.  Let 
the  childer  read  it,  if  you  like,  along  with  the  other 
fairy  tales ;  but  don't  think  grown  men  be  going  to 
waste  their  time  with  it.  The  whole  truth  is  that  the 
book  be  built  on  a  lie.  There  never  was  no  Jehovah 
and  never  will  be.      Moses  invented  Him  to  frighten 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  241 

the  folk  from  their  naughtiness,  same  as  you  invent  a 
scarecrow  to  frighten  the  birds  from  the  seed.  And 
the  scarecrow  works  better  than  Jehovah  did,  by  all 
accounts." 

"  You  talk  out  of  your  narrow,  bitter  books.  Jack." 

"  No  need  to  call  my  books  names.  That's  all 
your  side  can  do.  Why  don't  they  try  to  answer  'em 
instead  of  blackguarding  'em  ?  " 

"  'Tis  a  great  danger  to  the  poor  that  they  begin  to 
think  so  much." 

"  Don't  you  say  that.  Knowledge  be  the  weapon 
the  poor  have  been  waiting  for  all  these  years  and 
years.  'Tis  the  only  weapon  for  a  poor  man.  And 
what  will  it  soon  show  'em  ?  It'll  show  'em  that  the 
most  powerful  thing  on  this  earth  be  the  poor.  They 
are  just  going  to  find  it  out ;  then  you  rich  people  will 
hear  of  something  that  will  terrible  astonish  you." 

"You're  a  rank  Socialist,  Jack.  I've  no  patience 
with  you." 

"  There  you  are  :  *  no  patience  !  '  But  that's  another 
thing  we  men  of  the  soil  be  going  to  teach  you  chaps 
who  own  the  soil.  '  Patience,'  you  say.  There's  a 
time  coming  when  the  rich  people  will  have  to  be 
mighty  patient,  I  warn  you  !  And  if  you're  impatient 
—  why,  'tis  all  one  to  us,  for  never  was  heard  that  any 
impatient  man  could  stop  the  tide  flowing." 

"  I  believe  that,"  said  Baskerville  grimly.  "  You'll 
pay  us  presently  for  teaching  you,  and  clothing  you, 
and  helping  to  enlarge  your  minds.  When  you're 
learned  enough,  you'll  turn  round,  like  the  snake,  and 
bite  the  hand  that  fed  you.  Gratitude  the  common 
soul  never  knows  and  never  will,  whatever  else  it  may 
learn.  Knowledge  is  poison  to  low  natures,  and  we 
ought  to  have  kept  you  ignorant  and  harmless." 

Jack  Head  stared. 

"  That's  a  pretty  speech  !  "  he  said.     "  That's  a  good 


242  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

healthy  bit  of  Christian  charity  —  eh  ?  Why  for  should 
you  ax  so  much  credit  for  your  side  ?  Take  me. 
What's  the  rich  man  done  for  me  ?     A  workhouse  boy 

was. 

"And  look  at  you  now  —  a  prosperous  man  and 
saving  money.  Who  fed  you  and  taught  you  and 
brought  you  up  ?  The  State.  Society  saved  you ; 
society  played  mother  to  you  ;  and  now  you  want  to 
kick  her.  That's  how  you'd  pay  your  debts.  You 
take  a  base  and  a  narrow  view  —  dishonest  too.  The 
State  have  got  to  look  after  the  rich  as  well  as  the  poor. 
Why  not?  The  poor  aren't  everybody.  You're  the 
sort  that  think  no  man  can  be  a  decent  member  of 
society  unless  he  was  born  in  a  gutter.  Class  prejudice 
'tis  called,  and  some  of  the  chaps  who  think  they're 
the  salt  of  the  earth,  stink  of  it." 

"Class  be  damned,"  said  Mr.  Head.  "Class  is  all 
stuff  and  nonsense.  There  are  only  two  classes  - —  good 
men  and  bad  ones.  The  difference  between  a  duke 
and  me  be  difference  between  a  pig  with  a  ring  in  his 
nose  and  another  without  one.  We'm  built  the  same 
to  the  last  bone  in  our  bodies,  and  I've  got  more  sense 
than  half  the  dukes  in  the  kingdom." 

"  And  t'other  half  have  got  more  sense  than  you," 
returned  the  rider.  "  It's  summed  up  in  a  word.  Class 
there  will  be,  because  class  there  must  be.  The  poor 
we  have  always  with  us  —  you  know  that  well  enough. 
Your  books,  though  they  deny  most  things,  can't  deny 
that." 

"Another  of  your  silly  Christian  sayings.  We  have 
got  the  poor  with  us  —  but  it  won't  be  always.  So 
long  as  we  have  the  rich  with  us,  we  shall  have  the 
poor,  and  no  longer.  No  longer,  master  !  Finish  off 
the  one  and  you'll  finish  off  t'other.  That's  a  bit  of 
home-grown  wisdom,  that  is  got  from  no  book  at  all." 

"  Wisdom,  you  call  it !     And  what  power  is  going 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  243 

to  root  out  the  rich  ?  How  are  you  clever  folk  going 
to  alter  human  nature,  and  say  to  this  man  you  shan't 
save  your  money  and  to  this  man  you  shall  save  yours  ? 
While  some  men  and  women  are  born  to  thrift  and 
sense,  and  some  to  folly  and  squandering,  there  must 
be  rich  and  poor ;  and  while  men  are  born  to  hunger 
for  power,  there  must  be  war.  These  things  can't  be 
changed.  And  you  can't  say  where  any  man  can  reach 
to  ;  you  can't  put  up  a  mark  and  tell  your  fellow-man, 
'  you  shan't  go  higher  than  that.'  " 

"  Granted.  You  can't  say  where  they  shall  reach  to  ; 
but  you  can  say  where  they  shall  start  from.  Half  the 
world's  handicapped  at  the  starting-post.  I  only  ax  for 
the  race  to  be  a  fair  one.  I  only  ax  for  my  son  to  start 
fair  with  yours.  If  yours  be  the  better  man,  then  let 
him  win ;  but  don't  let  him  win  because  he's  got  too 
long  a  start.  That's  not  justice  but  tyranny.  Give 
every  man  his  chance  and  make  every  man  work  — 
that's  all  I  ask.  If  a  man's  only  got  the  wits  to  break 
stones,  then  see  that  he  breaks  'em  ;  and  let  them  who 
can  do  better  and  earn  better  money  not  grudge  the 
stone-breaker  a  little  over  and  above  what  his  poor  wits 
earn  in  the  market." 

"  I  grant  that's  good,"  admitted  Baskerville.  "  Let 
the  strong  help  the  weak.  'Twas  Christ  found  that  out, 
not  you  Socialists." 

"'Tis  found  out  anyway,"  said  Jack  Head.  "And 
'tis  true ;  and  therefore  it  will  happen  and  we  can't  go 
back  on  it.  And  it  follows  from  that  law  of  strong 
helping  weak  that  nobody  ought  to  be  too  rich,  any 
more  than  they  ought  to  be  too  poor.  Let  the  State 
be  a  millionaire  a  million  times  over,  if  you  like  —  and 
only  the  State.  So  long  as  the  hive  be  rich,  no  bee  is 
poor." 

Humphrey  did  not  immediately  reply.  He  was 
following  Head's  argument  to  a  still  larger  conclusion. 


244  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

"  And  you'd  argue  that  as  the  strong  man  can  help 
the  weak  one,  so  in  time  the  strong  State  might  help 
the  weak  one  instead  of  hindering  it,  and  the  powerful 
of  the  earth  give  of  their  abundance  to  strengthen  the 
humble  and  feeble  ?  " 

"Why  not?  Instead  of  that,  the  great  Powers  be 
bristling  with  fighting  men,  and  all  the  sinews  of  the 
world  be  wasted  on  war.  And  it  shows  the  uselessness 
of  the  Book,  anyway,  that  the  Christian  nations  —  so- 
called —  keep  the  biggest  armies  and  the  largest  num- 
ber of  men  idle,  rotting  their  bodies  and  souls  away  in 
barracks  and  battleships." 

Baskerville  nodded. 

"  There's  sense  of  a  lop-sided  sort  in  much  that  you 
say.  Jack.  But  'tisn't  the  Book  that's  to  blame  —  'tis 
the  world  that  misunderstands  the  Book  and  daren't 
go  by  the  Book  —  because  of  the  nations  around  that 
don't  go  by  it." 

"  Then  why  do  they  pretend  they'm  Christians  ? 
They  know  if  they  went  by  the  Book  they'd  go  down  ; 
yet  they  want  to  drive  it  into  the  heads  of  the  next 
generation.  The  child  hears  his  father  damning  the 
Government  because  they  ban't  building  enough  men- 
of-war,  and  next  day  when  the  boy  comes  home  with  a 
black  eye,  his  father  turns  round  and  tells  him  to  mind 
his  Bible  and  remember  that  the  peacemakers  be 
blessed." 

"  I  could  wish  a  Government  would  give  Christianity 
a  chance,"  confessed  Mr.  Baskerville;  "but  I  suppose 
'tis  much  the  same  thing  as  Free  Trade  —  a  fine  thing 
if  everybody  played  the  game,  but  a  poor  thing  for  one 
nation  if  t'others  are  all  for  Protection." 

"  That's  a  lie,"  answered  Mr.  Head.  "  We've  shown 
Free  Trade  is  a  fine  thing  —  single-handed  we've  shown 
it,  and  why  ?  Because  Free  Trade's  a  strong  sword ; 
but  Christianity's  rusty  and  won't  stand  the  strain  no 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  245 

longer.  We've  passed  that  stage ;  and  if  we  was  to 
start  Christianity  now  and  offer  the  cheek  to  the  smiter 
—  well,  he'd  damn  soon  smite,  and  then  where  are  we  ?  " 

They  chattered  on  and  set  the  world  right  according 
to  their  outlook,  instinct,  and  understanding.  Then 
the  conversation  turned  into  personal  channels,  and 
Mr.  Baskerville,  while  admitting  the  justice  of  much 
that  Jack  asserted,  yet  blamed  him  for  a  certain  impa- 
tience and  bitterness. 

"  If  evolution  is  going  to  set  all  right  and  the  unborn 
will  come  into  a  better  world,  why  get  so  hot  ?  "  he 
asked. 

"  Because  I'm  a  thinking,  feeling  man,"  answered 
the  other.  "  Because  I  hate  to  see  wrong  done  in  the 
name  of  right.  And  you're  the  same  —  only  you 
haven't  got  as  much  sense  as  me  seemingly.  I'm  use- 
ful—  you  only  want  to  be  useful  and  don't  see  how." 

"  I  want  to  do  my  part  in  the  world ;  but  just  the 
right  way  is  difficult  to  choose  out  among  the  many 
roads  that  offer.  Jack.  You  are  positive,  and  that 
saves  a  deal  of  trouble,  no  doubt.  The  positive  peo- 
ple go  the  furthest  —  for  good  or  evil.  But  I'm  not 
so  certain.  I  see  deeper  than  you  because  I've  been 
better  educated,  though  I'm  not  so  clever  by  nature. 
Then  there's  another  thing  —  sympathy.  People  don't 
like  me,  and  to  be  disliked  limits  a  man's  usefulness  a 
lot. 

"  That's  stuff,"  answered  Jack ;  "  no  more  than  a 
maggot  got  in  your  head.  If  they  don't  like  you, 
there's  a  reason.  They'm  feared  of  your  sharp  tongue, 
and  think  'tis  the  key  to  a  hard  heart.  Then  'tis  for 
you  to  show  'em  what  they  can't  see.  I'll  tell  you 
what  you  are  :  you'm  a  man  sitting  hungry  in  a  wheat- 
field,  because  you  don't  know  and  won't  larn  how  to 
turn  corn  into  bread.     That's  you  in  a  word." 

Trowlesworthy  was  reached  and  Jack  went  his  way. 


246  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

"  You  might  come  and  drink  a  dish  of  tea  some 
Sunday,"  said  Mr.  Baskerville,  and  the  other  promised 
to  do  so.  Then  Humphrey  proceeded  beside  the  river, 
and  presently  ascended  a  rough  slope  to  his  destination. 
The  ruin  that  alternately  drew  and  repelled  him  lay 
below ;  but  for  the  moment  he  did  not  seek  it.  He 
climbed  to  the  high  ground,  dismounted,  turned  his 
pony  loose,  and  took  his  pipe  out  of  his  pocket. 

The  great  cone  of  granite  known  as  Hen  Tor  Ues 
high  upon  the  eastern  bank  of  Plym,  between  that 
streamlet  and  the  bog-foundered  table-land  of  Shaver- 
combe  beyond.  From  its  crown  the  visitor  marked 
Cornwall's  coastline  far-spreading  into  the  west,  and 
Whitsand  Bay  reflecting  silver  morning  light  along 
the  darker  boundaries  of  earth. 

Spaces  of  grass  and  fern  extended  about  the  tor,  and 
far  below  a  midget  that  was  a  man  moved  along  the 
edge  of  the  ripe  bracken  and  mowed  it  down  with  a 
scythe. 

Half  a  dozen  carrion  crows  took  wing  and  flapped 
with  loud  croaking  away  as  Humphrey  ascended  the 
tor  and  sat  upon  its  summit.  Again  he  traversed  the 
familiar  scene  in  his  mind,  again  perceived  the  diffi- 
culties of  transit  to  this  place.  Occasionally,  before 
these  problems,  he  had  set  to  work  obstinately  and 
sought  solutions. 

Once  he  had  determined  to  rebuild  the  ruin  in  the 
valley,  so  that  he  might  turn  his  back  on  man  and 
make  trial  of  the  anchorite's  isolation  and  hermit's 
bastard  peace ;  but  to-day  he  was  in  no  mood  for  such 
experiments ;  his  misanthropic  fit  passed  upon  the 
west  wind,  and  his  thoughts  took  to  themselves  a 
brighter  colour. 

Where  he  sat  two  roof-trees  were  visible,  separated 
by  the  distant  height  of  Legis  Tor.  Trowlesworthy 
and  Ditsworthy  alone  appeared,  and  for  the  rest  the 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  247 

river  roamed  between  them,  and  flocks  and  herds  wan- 
dered upon  the  hills  around.  The  man  still  moved 
below,  and  long  ribbons  of  fallen  fern  spread  regularly 
behind  him. 

A  foul  smell  struck  on  Baskerville's  nostrils,  and  he 
saw  death  not  far  distant,  where  the  crows  had  been 
frightened  from  their  meal.  He  climbed  away  from 
the  main  pile  of  the  tor  and  sat  in  a  natural  chair 
hollowed  from  the  side  of  an  immense  block  of  granite 
that  stands  hard  by.  He  smoked,  and  his  pony 
grazed. 

A  storm  of  rain  fell  and  passed.  The  sun  suc- 
ceeded upon  it,  and  for  a  little  while  the  moor  glittered 
with  moisture.  Then  the  wind  dried  all  again.  The 
old  man  was  now  entirely  out  of  tune  with  any 
thought  of  a  dwelling  here.  He  did  not  even  de- 
scend the  hill  and  inspect  the  ruin  beneath.  But  he 
had  come  to  spend  the  day  alone,  and  was  contented 
to  do  so.  His  mind  busied  itself  with  the  last  thing 
that  a  fellow-man  had  said  to  him.  He  repeated  Jack 
Head's  word  over  and  over  to  himself.  Presently  he 
ate  the  food  that  he  had  brought  with  him,  drank 
at  a  spring,  and  walked  about  to  warm  his  body. 
The  carrion  crows  cried  in  air,  soared  hither  and 
thither,  settled  again  on  the  rocks  at  hand  and  waited, 
with  the  perfect  patience  of  unconscious  nature,  for 
him  to  depart.  But  he  remained  until  the  end  of  the 
day. 

Then  occurred  a  magnificent  spectacle.  After  gold 
of  evening  had  scattered  the  Moor  and  made  dark 
peat  and  grey  rock  burn,  there  rolled  up  from  the 
south  an  immense  fog,  that  spread  its  nacreous  sea 
under  the  sunset.  Born  of  far-off  fierce  heat  upon 
the  ocean,  it  advanced  and  enveloped  earth,  valley  by 
valley,  and  ridge  by  ridge.  Only  the  highest  peaks 
evaded  this  flood  of  vapours,  and  upon  them  presently 


248  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

sank  the  sun.  His  light  descending  touched  many 
points  and  uplifted  sprays  of  mist ;  whereon,  like 
magic,  a  thousand  galleons  rode  over  the  pearl  and 
advanced  in  a  golden  flotilla  upon  this  fleeting  sea. 
The  rare,  brief  wonder  passed,  and  the  sky  above  it 
faded  ;  the  sun  sank;  the  fog  rolled  forward —  heavy, 
cold,  a  burden  for  the  wet  wings  of  night. 

Humphrey  set  off,  and  the  carrion  crows,  full  hun- 
gry, returned  to  sup. 

In  Baskerville's  mind  certain  words  reverberated 
still,  as  they  had  often  done  since  they  were  spoken 
during  the  morning.  They  chimed  to  the  natural 
sounds  that  had  fallen  upon  his  ear  throughout  the 
day ;  they  were  echoed  in  the  wind  and  the  distant 
water-murmur ;  in  the  cry  of  birds  and  call  of  beasts  ; 
in  the  steady  rasping  of  his  pony's  teeth  through  the 
herbage ;  and  now,  in  its  hoof-beat  as  it  trotted  by  a 
sheep-track  homeward. 

And  louder  than  all  these  repetitions  of  it,  louder 
than  the  natural  music  that  seemed  to  utter  the  words 
in  many  voices,  there  came  the  drumming  of  his  own 
pulse,  laden  with  the  same  message,  and  the  answering 
beat  of  his  heart  that  affirmed  the  truth  of  it. 

"  A  man  sitting  hungry  in  a  wheat-field,  because 
you  don't  know  and  won't  learn  how  to  turn  corn 
into  bread." 


CHAPTER   V 

MILLY  and  her  husband  Rupert  came  on  a  Sun- 
day to  drink  tea  at  Hawk  House.  They 
found  Humphrey  from  home,  but  he  had  left 
a  message  with  Susan  Hacker  to  say  that  he  would 
return  before  five  o'clock. 

"  He's  got  the  rheumatics,"  said  Mrs.  Hacker. 
"  They  have  fastened  cruel  in  his  shoulder-blades,  and 
he've  started  on  his  pony  and  gone  off  to  see  the 
doctor.  Won't  have  none  of  my  cautcheries,  though 
I  know  what's  good  for  rheumatics  well  enough,  and 
I've  cured  three  cases  to  common  knowledge  that 
neither  doctor  nor  that  Eliza  GoUop  could  budge,  do 
as  they  would." 

Rupert  expressed  concern,  and  went  out  to  meet  his 
uncle,  while  Milly  stopped  and  helped  Susan  Hacker 
to  prepare  tea. 

"  And  how  do  'e  like  being  married  ^  "  asked  the 
elder. 

"  Very  well  ;  but  not  quite  so  well  as  I  thought  to," 
answered  Milly  with  her  usual  frankness. 

"  Ah  !  same  with  most,  though  few  have  the  pluck 
to  confess  it." 

"  Being  married  is  a  very  fine  thing  if  you've  got 
such  a  husband  as  Rupert ;  but  living  along  with  your 
husband's  people  ain't  so  fine,  if  you  understand  me. 
You  see,  he's  farmer  now,  and  he  will  have  his  way  — 
a  terrible  resolute  chap  where  the  land  and  the  things 
be  concerned.  But  sometimes  his  mother  gets  a  bit 
restive  at  Rupert's  orders,  and  sometimes  she  says,  in 
her  quiet  way,  as  her  husband  never  would  have  held 

249 


250  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

with  this  or  that.  'Tis  a  thought  awkward  now  and 
again,  because,  you  see,  Rupert  ban't  the  favourite,  and 
never  was." 

"  You  side  with  him,  of  course  ?  " 

"Always,  and  always  shall  do  —  right  or  wrong." 

"  Maybe  when  Master  Ned's  married  and  away 
Mrs.   Baskerville  will  go  easier." 

"  Don't  think  I'm  grumbling.  She's  a  kind  woman, 
but,  like  all  old  married  folk,  seem  to  think  young 
married  folk  be  only  playing  at  it.  The  truth  is  that  1 
haven't  got  enough  to  do  for  the  minute." 

Mr.  Baskerville  returned  in  half  an  hour,  and 
Rupert  walked  beside  him.  Then,  with  some  silent 
suffering,  the  old  man  alighted,  and  a  boy  took  the 
pony  to  its  stable. 

"  Doctor  was  out,"  he  said,  "  so  I'll  have  to  trouble 
you  to  make  up  a  bit  of  your  ointment  after  all." 

"  And  so  I  will,"  answered  Susan.  "  And  if  you'd 
gone  to  that  GoUop  woman  for  the  beastliness  she 
pretends  will  cure  everything,  I'd  never  have  forgiven 
you.  She  helped  to  kill  off  your  brother,  no  doubt, 
but  that's  no  reason  why  you  should  give  her  a  chance 
to  kill  you." 

"  You're  all  alike,"  he  said  ;  "  a  jealous  generation. 
But  if  you  can  have  your  physic  ready  in  an  hour,  so 
much  the  better  ;  then  Rupert  shall  give  my  back  a 
good  rub  before  he  goes." 

Mrs.   Hacker  was  doubtful. 

"  Better  I  do  it,"  she  said.  "'Tis  the  way  it's  rubbed 
in  makes  the  cure." 

"  He's  stronger  and  can  rub  harder,"  answered  the 
patient. 

"  Uncle  Nathan's  none  too  grand,  neither,"  declared 
his  nephevv'.  "  Won't  say  what's  amiss,  but  I  do 
think  he's  not  all  he  might  be.  I  asked  Mrs.  Lintern, 
who  knows  more  about  him  than  anybody,  I  reckon. 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  251 

and  she  told  me  'twas  nothing  much  in  her  opinion 
—  only  his  throat  a  bit  queer." 

"  You  and  Uncle  Nathan  ought  to  have  wives  to 
look  after  you,"  declared  Milly  as  she  poured  out  tea. 
"  You  men  be  unfinished,  awkward  things  alone. 
You'm  always  wanting  us  at  every  turn,  for  one  reason 
or  another,  and  after  middle  age  a  man  looks  a  fool 
half  his  time  if  he  haven't  got  a  woman  for  his  own. 
Men  do  the  big  things  and  alter  the  face  of  the  earth 
and  all  that,  but  what  becomes  of  their  clever  greatness 
without  our  clever  littleness  ?  " 

"  Cant !  —  cant !  You  all  talk  that  stuff  and  'tisn't 
worth  answering.  Ask  the  sailors  if  they  can't  sew 
better  than  their  sweethearts." 

Mr.  Baskerville  was  in  a  hard  mood  and  would 
allow  no  credit  to  the  sex.  He  endured  his  pain 
without  comment,  but  it  echoed  itself  in  impatient  and 
rather  bitter  speeches.  Rupert  fell  back  on  other 
members  of  the  family,  and  spoke  of  his  uncle,  the 
master  of  '  The  White  Thorn.' 

"  The  good  that  man  does  isn't  guessed,"  he  said. 
"The  little  things  —  you'd  be  surprised  —  yet  'tisn't 
surprising  neither,  for  every  soul  you  meet  speaks  well 
of  him  ;  and  a  man  can't  win  to  that  without  being  a 
wonder.  He's  made  of  human  kindness,  and  yet  never 
remembers  the  kind  things  he  does  —  no  memory 
for  'em  at  all." 

Humphrey  conceded  the  nobility  of  this  trait,  and 
Milly  spoke. 

"  Not  like  some  we  could  name,  who'll  give  a  gift 
to-day  and  fling  it  in  your  face  to-morrow." 

"  There  are  such.  My  mother's  father  was  such  a 
one,"  said  Mr.  Baskerville.  "  He  never  forgot  a 
kindness  —  that  he'd  done  himself.  He  checked  his 
good  angel's  record  terrible  sharp,  did  that  man." 

There  came  an  interruption  here,  and   unexpected 


252 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS 


visitors  in  the  shape  of  Nicholas  Bassett,  the  young 
man  who  had  married  Polly  Baskerville,  and  Polly 
herself.  Nicholas  was  nervous  and  stood  behind  his 
wife  ;  Polly  was  also  nervous,  but  the  sight  of  her 
brother  Rupert  gave  her  courage. 

Her  uncle  welcomed  her  with  astonishment. 

"  Wonders  never  cease,"  he  said.  "  I  didn't  count 
to  get  a  visit  from  you,  Polly,  or  your  husband  either. 
You  needn't  stand  there  turning  your  Sunday  hat 
round  and  round,  Bassett.  I  shan't  eat  you,  though 
people  here  do  seem  to  think  I'm  a  man-eater." 

"  We  came  for  advice,"  said  Polly,  "  and  I  made 
bold  to  bring  Nicholas.  In  fact,  'twas  his  idea  that  I 
should  speak  to  you." 

Mr.  Baskerville  was  gratified,  but  his  nature  forbade 
him  to  show  it. 

"  A  new  thing  to  come  to  Uncle  Humphrey  when 
you  might  go  to  Uncle  Nathan,"  he  said. 

"  'Tis  just  about  Uncle  Nathan  is  the  difficulty," 
declared  his  niece.  Then  she  turned  to  her  husband. 
"  You  speak,  Nick.  You  must  know  that  Nick's 
rather  slow  of  speech,  and  can't  get  his  words  always, 
but  he's  improving.  Tell  Uncle  Humphrey  how  'tis, 
Nick." 

Mr.  Bassett  nodded,  dried  a  damp  brow  with  a  red 
handkerchief,  and  spoke. 

"  'Tis  like  this  here,"  he  began.  "  Under  Mr. 
Vivian  Baskerville's  will  —  him  being  my  wife's 
father  —  she    had    five    hundred    pound." 

"We  all  know  that,"  said   Rupert.     "And   May, 

A.  " 

too. 

"  Well,  the  law  of  the  will  was  that  the  money 
should  be  handed  over  when  the  girls  was  wedded,  or 
when  they  comed  to  the  age  of  five-and-twenty. 
Therefore,  surely  it's  clear  as  my  wife  ought  to  have 
her  five  hundred  —  eh  ?  " 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  253 

"  Perfectly  clear  —  on  the  day  she  married  you," 
said  Rupert.     "  I  thought  you'd  got  it,  Polly." 

"But  I  haven't.  There's  legal  difficulties  —  so 
Uncle  Nathan  says  ;  and  he  told  Nicholas  that  there  was 
a  doubt  in  his  mind  whether  —  what  was  it,  Nick?  " 

"  The  man  said  that  as  trustee  for  everybody  he  was 
very  unwilling  to  disturb  the  money.  He  said  'twas 
out  at  interest  and  doing  very  well ;  and  he  said  he'd 
pay  us  five  per  centum  upon  it,  which  comed  to  twenty- 
five  pounds  a  year." 

"  You're  entitled  to  the  capital  if  you  want  it,"  de- 
clared Mr.  Baskerville.     "  It  can't  be  withheld." 

"  I've  been  to  the  man  twice  since,"  said  Polly's 
husband,  "  and  he's  always  terrible  busy,  or  else  just 
going  into  it  in  a  few  days,  or  something  like  that. 
We've  had  six  months'  interest  on  it ;  but  we  want 
the  money  —  at  least,  half  of  it  —  because  we've  got 
ideas  about  leasing  a  field  where  we  live  to  Bickleigh, 
and  buying  a  cow  in  calf  and  a  lot  of  poultry.  With 
all  Polly's  farm  cleverness  we  can  do  better  with  a  bit 
of  money  than  leave  it  in  the  bank.  At  least,  that's 
what  we  think." 

"  Ask  Rupert  here  to  help,"  suggested  her  uncle. 
"He's  on  very  good  terms  with  Uncle  Nat,  and  he's 
a  man  of  business  now,  and  Polly's  elder  brother, 
and  a  right  to  be  heard.  No  doubt,  if  he  says  plain 
and  clear  that  he  wants  you  to  have  your  money  with- 
out delay,  you'll  get  it." 

"  I'd  leave  it  till  autumn,  after  Ned's  marriage," 
said  Rupert,  "then  I'd  press  him  to  clear  things  up. 
Ned  will  want  tons  of  money  then,  and  I  believe  Cora 
Lintern  is  to  have  a  money  present  from  Uncle 
Nathan.  She  got  the  secret  out  of  her  mother,  and, 
of  course,  told  Ned  ;  and  now  everybody  knows. 
But  nobody  knows  the  figure.  Therefore,  I  say  Polly 
had  better  do  nought  till  the  wedding." 


2  54  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

"  Mr.  Nathan's  temper  isn't  what  it  was,"  said 
Rupert's  wife.  "  His  health  be  fretting  him  a  lot,  I 
believe." 

"  I  wish  I  had  our  money,  anyhow,"  declared  Mr. 
Bassett ;  "  but  if  you  say  wait  till  autumn,  of  course 
we  will  do  so." 

Humphrey  Baskerville  spoke  but  little.  He  had 
fallen  into  deep  private  thought  upon  this  news,  and 
now  was  only  aroused  by  his  niece  getting  up  to 
depart. 

"  I  hope  you'll  forgive  us  for  troubling  you,"  said 
Polly ;  "  but  we've  talked  it  over  a  thousand  times, 
and  we  felt  we  ought  to  take  the  opinion  of  some 
wiser  person.     Still,  if  you  say  wait,  we'll  wait." 

"  I  didn't  say  wait,"  answered  her  uncle,  "  and  I 
don't  take  any  responsibility  for  it.  Rupert  advised 
you  to  wait,  not  me.  If  a  man  owed  me  twopence 
under  a  will  —  let  alone  five  hundred  pound — I'd 
have  it,  and  wouldn't  wait  a  minute." 

The  young  couple  departed  in  a  good  deal  of 
agitation,  and  debated  this  advice  very  earnestly  all  the 
way  home ;  but  Rupert  stuck  to  his  own  opinion,  and, 
when  they  were  gone,  chode  Humphrey  for  giving 
such  counsel. 

"  I'm  sure  such  a  thing  would  hurt  Uncle  Nathan 
cruelly,"  he  said.  "  'Tis  as  much  as  to  say  that  you 
don't  trust  him  —  don't  trust  a  man  who  is  trusted  by 
the  countryside  as  none  ever  was  before." 

"  Easy  to  be  large-minded  about  other  people's 
money,"  answered  his  uncle.  "  Only  if  'twas  yours, 
and  not  your  sister's,  I  rather  think  you'd  be  a  bit  less 
patient  with  the  man  that  held  it  from  you." 

Yet  another  visitor  appeared  and  the  family  matter 
was  dropped. 

Mrs.  Hacker  brought  in  Mr.  Head. 

"  Looks    as    if  the  whole  countryside  was  coming 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  255 

here,"  she  declared.  "  Here's  Jack  for  a  cup  of  tea ; 
and  the  ointment  will  be  cool  enough  to  use  in  half  an 
hour." 

"  Hullo,  Bear  !  "  said  Rupert.  "  Who'd  have 
thought  of  seeing  you  ,?  " 

"  I  was  axed  to  tea  when  I  felt  in  a  mind  to  come," 
replied  Mr.  Head  ;  "  and  here  I  am,  if  not  in  the  way. 
And  as  to  being  a  bear,  I'm  the  sort  that  needs  a  lot  of 
stirring  up  afore  I  roar  —  your  wife  will  back  me  up 
in  that.      How's  Mr.  Baskerville  faring?" 

"Got  the  rheumatism,"  answered  Humphrey.  "Ru- 
pert here  be  going  to  rub  in  some  ointment  presently." 

"  I  hope  'twill  break  the  heart  of  it,  I'm  sure. 
There's  nothing  worse.  It  tells  us  the  truth  about 
our  parts  better  than  any  sermon.  I'm  not  too  gay 
to-day  myself.  We  was  at  it  hammer  and  tongs  in 
'  The  White  Thorn  '  last  night  —  me  and  your  brother. 
Such  a  Tory  was  never  seen  in  the  land  afore.  I  very 
soon  settled  Tom  Gollop  and  a  few  others  like  him, 
but  Mr.  Nathan's  got  more  learning  and  more  power 
of  argument.  We  drank,  too  —  more  than  usual, 
owing  to  the  thirstiness  of  the  night  and  the  flow  of 
speech.  Quarts  I  must  have  took,  and  when  Ben 
North  looked  in  to  say  'twas  closing  time,  nothing 
would  do  but  a  few  of  us  went  in  your  brother's  room, 
after  house  was  shut,  and  went  at  it  again." 

"  Say  you  were  drunk  in  a  word.  Jack,"  suggested 
Rupert. 

"Not  drunk,  Rupert  —  still,  near  it.  We  all  got 
in  sight  of  it.  There's  no  prophet  like  the  next  morn- 
ing after  a  wet  night.  As  a  man  fond  of  the  flesh  I 
say  it.  And  the  older  you  grow,  the  sharper  comes 
the  day  after  a  bust-up.  Then  Nature  gives  you  a 
proper  talking  to,  and  your  heart  swells  with  good 
resolutions  against  beer  and  other  things.  And  then, 
as   soon  as   you   are  as  right  as  ninepence  — just  by 


2s6  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

keeping  those  good  resolves  —  blest  if  Nature  don't 
tumble  down  what  she's  set  up,  and  tempt  you  with 
all  her  might  to  go  on  the  loose  again.  You  can't 
steady  her,  though  she  can  mighty  soon  steady  you. 
Preaches  to  you  one  minute,  and  then  starts  off  to  get 
you  into  mischief  the  next.  That's  her  way  —  no 
more  sense  than  any  other  female." 

"  Then  so  much  the  less  reason  to  put  your  trust  in 
her,"  answered  Mr.  Baskerville.  "  She's  a  poor,  un- 
taught, savage  thing  at  best.  'Tis  madness  to  trust 
her,  for  nothing  is  weaker  than  she." 

"  Nothing  is  stronger  or  so  strong,"  declared  Jack. 
"  Nature  knows  what  she  wants,  and  she  gets  what 
she  wants.  You  can't  deny  that.  She's  just,  and 
never  does  nothing  without  a  reason.  Very  different 
to  a  woman  there.  She'm  digging  her  claws  into  your 
back  because  you've  been  doing  some  foolish  thing, 
I'll  warrant." 

He  drank  his  tea  and  aired  his  opinions.  But  Mr. 
Baskerville  was  in  no  mood  for  Jack's  philosophy.  He 
retired  presently  with  Rupert,  stripped  to  the  waist,  and 
endured  a  great  and  forcible  application  of  Mrs.  Hack- 
er's ointment.  The  friction  brought  comfort  with  it, 
and  he  declared  himself  better  as  a  result.  But  he  did 
not  again  descend  from  his  chamber,  and  presently  the 
three  visitors  departed  together. 

Mr.  Head  expressed  great  admiration  for  Susan 
Hacker. 

"  I  should  like  to  be  better  acquaint  with  that 
woman,"  he  declared.  "For  sense  in  few  words  there's 
not  her  equal  about." 

"If  you  want  to  please  her,  cuss  Eliza  Gollop,"  ex- 
plained Rupert. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  setting  sun  burnt  upon  Dewerstone's 
shoulder  and  beat  In  a  sea  of  light  against  the 
western  face  of  North  Wood,  until  the  wind- 
worn  forest  edge,  taking  colour  on  trunk  and  bough, 
glowed  heartily. 

Already  the  first  summer  splendour  was  dimmed, 
for  these  lofty  domains  suffered  full  fret  of  storm  and 
asperity  of  season.  A  proleptic  instinct,  stamped  by 
the  centuries,  inspired  this  wood ;  it  anticipated  more 
sheltered  neighbours  in  autumn,  though  it  lagged  be- 
hind them  in  spring.  Upon  its  boughs  the  last  vernal 
splendour  fluttered  into  being,  and  the  first  autumnal 
stain  was  always  visible.  Now  beech  and  larch  re- 
vealed a  shadow  in  their  texture  of  leaf  and  needle 
though  August  had  not  passed,  for  their  foliage  was 
born  into  elemental  strife.  Here  homed  the  west  wind, 
and  the  salt  south  storms  emptied  their  vials;  here  the 
last  snows  lingered,  and  May  frost  pinched  the  young 
green  things. 

Now  roseal  and  gracious  light  penetrated  the  heart 
of  the  wood,  warmed  its  recesses,  and  dwelt  upon 
a  grass-grown  track  that  wound  through  the  midst. 
Toward  this  path  by  convergent  ways  there  came  a 
man  and  woman.  As  yet  half  a  mile  separated  them, 
for  they  had  entered  the  wood  at  opposite  places  ;  but 
one  desire  actuated  both,  and  they  moved  slowly 
nearer  until  they  met  at  a  tryst  in  the  deep  heart  of 
the  trees.  Undergrowth  rose  about  them,  and  their 
resort  was  carefully  chosen  and  perfectly  concealed. 
Here  oak  closely  clad  the  hill,  and  granite  boulders 
s  257 


258  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

offered  an  inner  rampart  against  observation.  The 
man  and  woman  were  elderly,  yet  she  was  still  per- 
sonable, and  he  retained  a  measure  of  unusual  good 
looks.  They  came  to  perform  a  little  rite,  sacred  and 
secret,  an  event  celebrated  these  many  years,  and  un- 
known to  any  other  human  beings  but  themselves. 

Nathan  Baskerville  put  his  arms  round  Priscilla 
Lintern  and  drew  her  beside  him  and  kissed  her. 

"  We  shall  never  find  it  this  year,  I'm  much  afraid," 
he  said.  "  The  time  is  past.  'Tis  always  later  far  than 
other  lilies  in  the  garden,  but  not  so  late  as  this.  How- 
ever, I'll  do  my  best." 

"  No  matter  for  the  flower,"  she  answered, "  so  long 
as  we  keep  up  our  custom." 

A  slant  flame  from  the  sunset  stole  deliciously 
through  the  dusky  hiding-places  of  the  wood,  and 
played  on  the  deep  mosses  and  fern-crowns  and  the 
tawny  motley  of  the  earth,  spread  like  a  coverlet  be- 
neath. Here  dead  litter  of  leaf  and  twig  made  the 
covering  of  the  ground,  and  through  it  sprang  various 
seedling  things,  presently  to  bear  their  part  in  the  com- 
monwealth and  succeed  their  forefathers.  The  ground 
was  amber-bright  where  the  sunshine  won  to  it,  and 
everywhere  stretched  ivy  and  bramble,  gleamed  the 
lemon  light  of  malempyre,  sparkled  green  sorrel,  and 
rose  dim  woodbine  that  wound  its  arms  around  the 
sapling  oaks.  Wood-rush  and  wood-sage  prospered 
together,  and  where  water  spouted  out  of  the  hill  there 
spread  green  and  ruddy  mosses,  embroidered  with  foli- 
age of  marsh  violet  and  crowned  by  pallid  umbels  of 
angelica.  The  silver  of  birches  flashed  hard  by,  and 
the  rowan's  berries  already  warmed  to  scarlet. 

Hither  after  their  meeting  came  the  man  and  woman, 
and  then  Nathan,  searching  sharply,  uttered  a  cry  of 
triumph,  and  pointed  where,  at  their  feet,  grew  certain 
dark  green  twayblade  leaves   that  sprouted   from   the 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  259 

grass.  Here  dwelt  lilies-of-the-valley — their  only- 
wild  haunt  in  Devon  —  and  the  man  now  made  haste 
to  find  a  blossom  and  present  it  to  his  mistress.  But 
he  failed  to  do  so.  Only  a  dead  spike  or  two  ap- 
peared, and  presently  he  gave  up  the  search  with  some 
disappointment. 

"  They  must  have  bloomed  just  when  I  was  ill  and 
couldn't  come,"  he  said. 

"  'Tis  no  matter  at  all,"  she  answered.  "  The 
thought  and  the  meeting  here  are  the  good  thing. 
We'll  go  back  into  the  wood  now,  further  from  the 
path.  To  me  'tis  marvellous,  Nat,  to  think  the  crafty 
world  has  never  guessed." 

"  It  is,"  he  admitted.  "  And  sometimes  in  my  dark 
moments  —  however,  we  can  leave  that  to-day.  We're 
near  at  the  end  of  our  labours,  so  far  as  the  children 
are  concerned.  Cora  was  always  the  most  difficult. 
But  the  future's  bright,  save  for  the  cash  side.  I  hope 
to  God  'twill  come  right  afore  the  wedding  ;  but " 

"  Go  on,"  she  said.  "  We  can't  pretend  to  be  so 
happy  as  usual  this  year.  Let's  face  it.  I  know 
you're  worried  to  death.  But  money's  nought  along- 
side your  health.      You're  better  again  ;  you've  shown 

me  that  clear  enough.     And  nothing  else  matters  to 

>> 
us. 

"Yes,  I'm  all  right,  I  hope.  But  I'm  a  bit  under 
the  weather.  Things  have  gone  curiously  crooked 
ever  since  Vivian  died.  I  was  a  fool.  I  won't  dis- 
guise that;  but  somehow  my  luck  seemed  so  good 
that  a  few  little  troubles  never  looked  worth  consider- 
ing. Then,  just  before  he  went,  I  got  into  a  regular 
thunderstorm.  It  blew  up  against  the  steady  wind  of 
my  good  fortune,  as  thunderstorms  will.  Vivian  did 
me  a  good  turn  by  dying  just  when  he  did  —  I  can't 
deny  it ;  and  everything  is  all  right  now  —  for  all  prac- 
tical purposes.     The  silver  mine  will  be  a  wonder  of 


26o  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

the  world  by  all  accounts.  Still,  I've  had  a  good  deal 
to  trouble  me,  and  things  look  worse  when  a  man's 
sick." 

"  Shall  you  be  giving  Polly  Bassett  her  money  soon? 
Heathman  tells  me  her  husband's  grumbling  a  bit." 

"  All  in  good  time.  When  our  Cora  is  married  I 
shall  try  and  fork  out  a  good  slice  of  Vivian's  estate. 
Ned  must  have  the  capital  he  wants,  and  I've  got  to 
find  a  hundred  for  Cora's  wedding  gift." 

"Why  do  that  yet?" 

"I'll  do  it  if  I  have  to  sell  myself  up,"  he  said 
fiercely.  "  Isn't  she  my  first  favourite  of  our  three  ? 
Don't  I  worship  the  ground  she  goes  on,  and  love  her 
better  than  anything  in  the  world  after  you  yourself?" 

She  sighed. 

"  How  it  weighs  heavier  and  heavier  after  all  these 
years  !  And  I  always  thought  'twould  weigh  lighter 
and  lighter.  We  were  fools  to  have  childer.  But  for 
them  we  could  have  let  the  world  know  and  been  married, 
and  gived  back  the  five  thousand  to  your  wife's  people. 
But  not  now  —  never  now,  for  the  children's  sake,  I 
suppose." 

"  They'll  know  in  good  time,  and  none  else.  When  I 
come  to  my  end,  I'm  going  to  tell  'em  I'm  their  father, 
according  to  your  wish,  and  because  I've  promised  you 
on  my  oath  to  do  it ;  but  none  else  must  ever  know 
it ;  and  it  would  be  a  wiser  thing,  Priscilla,  if  you  could 
only  see  it  so,  that  they  didn't  either." 

"They  must  know,  and  they  shall." 

"  Well,  it  may  be  sooner  than  anybody  thinks.  The 
position  is  clear  enough  :  I  might  have  married  and 
still  kept  the  five  thousand,  because  the  lawyers  said 
that  my  dead  wife's  wish  wouldn't  hold  water  in  law; 
but  I  didn't  know  that  till  'twas  too  late,  and  your 
first  child  had  come.  Then  we  talked  it  out,  and  you 
was  content  and  so  was  I,     Now  there  are  three  of 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  261 

them,  and  though  I'd  face  the  music  so  brave  as  you 
and  go  to  my  grave  spurned  by  all  men,  if  necessary, 
what  would  better  it  for  them  ?  Nothing  short  of  an 
Act  of  Parliament  would  make  'em  legitimate  now.  I 
kept  the  condition  of  my  dead  wife,  because  you  urged 
me  to  do  it  and  weren't  feared  of  the  consequences; 
but  now,  though  I  can  make  you  my  lawful  wife,  1 
can't  make  them  my  lawful  children,  and  therefore 
surely  'tis  better  they  shall  never  know  they  are  my 
children  at  all  ?  " 

"  'Twas  a  promise,"  she  said,  "  and  I  hold  you  to  it. 
I'm  fixed  on  it  that  they  shall  know." 

"Very  well,  so  it  shall  be,  then.  Only  for  God's 
sake  look  to  it  for  everybody's  sake  that  it  don't  get 
out  after,  and  ruin  you  all.  I  shouldn't  sleep  in  my 
grave  if  I  thought  the  life-long  secret  was  common 
knowledge." 

"  You  can  trust  them  to  keep  it,  I  should  think." 

"  The  girls,  yes ;  but  Heathman's  so  easy  and  care- 
less." 

"  Suppose  you  was  to  marry  me  even  now,  Nat, 
would  that  help?" 

"  I'll  do  it,  as  I've  always  said  I'll  do  it.  But  that 
means  I  should  be  in  honour  bound  to  pay  five 
thousand  to  my  first  wife's  people.  Well,  I  can't  — 
I  can't  at  this  moment  —  not  a  penny  of  it.  Just  now 
I'm  a  good  deal  driven.  In  a  year  or  two  I  might,  no 
doubt;  but  there's  that  tells  me  a  year  or  two " 

He  put  up  his  hand  to  his  throat. 

"  You  swore  to  me  on  your  oath  that  you  were  bet- 
ter, last  time  you  came  down  by  night." 

"  I  was;  but  —  it's  here,  Priscilla  —  deep  down  and 

Maybe  'twill  lift  again,  and  maybe  it  won't.     But 

we  must  be  ready.  I'd  give  my  eternal  soul  if  things 
were  a  little  straighter  ;  but  time  —  plenty  of  time — is 
wanted  for  that,  and  'tis  just  time  I  can't  count  upon. 


262  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

I'm  not  so  young  as  I  was,  and  I've  not  the  head  for 
figures  I  used  to  have." 

"  If  you  don't  marry,  you've  got  absolute  power  to 
dispose  of  that  five  thousand.  'Tis  yours,  in  fact. 
Yet  at  best  that's  a  paltry  quibble,  as  you've  admitted 
sometimes." 

"  Leave  it,"  he  said.  "  Don't  let  this  day  be  nought 
but  cloud.  We're  married  afore  God,  but  not  afore 
man,  because  to  do  that  would  have  lost  me  five 
thousand  pounds.  When  I  die,  I've  the  right  to  make 
over  that  money  to  you  —  at  least,  what's  left  of  it." 

"  That's  a  certainty  for  me  and  Heathman  and 
PhylHs .?  " 

"Leave  it  —  leave  it,"  he  cried  irritably.  "You 
know  that  what  a  man  can  do  I  shall  do.  You're 
more  to  me  than  any  living  thing  —  much,  much  more. 
You're  my  life,  and  you've  been  my  life  for  thirty 
years  —  and  you  will  be  to  the  end  of  my  life.  I  know 
where  I  stand  and  how  I  stand." 

"  Don't  think  I'd  care  to  live  a  day  longer  than  you 
do,  Nat.  Don't  think  I'm  careful  for  myself  after  you 
be  gone.  'Tis  only  for  your  boy  and  girl  as  I  care  to 
know  anything." 

He  took  her  hand. 

"  I  know  you  well  enough  —  you  priceless  woman!" 
he  answered.  "  Let's  go  a  bit  further  through  the 
forest.  Come  what  may,  all's  got  to  be  bright  and 
cheerful  at  Cora's  wedding ;  and  after,  when  they've 
got  their  money,  I'll  have  a  good  go  into  things  with 
Mr.  Popham,  my  lawyer  at  Cornwood.  He's  heard 
nothing  yet,  but  he  shall  hear  everything.  Have  no 
fear  of  the  upshot.  I  know  where  I've  always  trusted, 
and  never  in  vain." 

Like  two  children  they  walked  hand  In  hand  together. 
For  a  long  time  neither  spoke,  then  she  addressed 
him. 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  263 

"  You've  taught  me  to  be  brave  and  put  a  bright 
face  on  life  afore  the  world,  and  now  I'll  not  be  want- 

"  Well  I  know  that.  ^  Brave  ! '  'Tis  too  mild  a 
a  word  for  you.  You've  come  through  your  life  in  a 
way  that  would  maze  the  people  with  wonder  if  they 
only  knew  it.  So  secret,  so  patient,  so  clever.  Never 
was  heard  or  known  the  like.  A  wonderful  wife  —  a 
wife  in  ten  thousand." 

The  sun  began  to  sink  where  Cornwall,  like  a  purple 
cloud,  rose  far  off  against  the  sky  ;  yet  still  the  undu- 
lations of  the  land,  mingling  with  glory,  melted  into 
each  other  under  the  sunset,  and  still  North  Wood 
shone  above  the  shadows.  But  a  deep  darkness  began 
to  stretch  upwards  into  it,  where  the  Dewerstone's 
immense  shade  was  projected  across  the  valley.  At 
length  only  the  corner  of  the  forest  flashed  a  final  fire; 
then  that,  too,  vanished,  and  the  benighted  trees  sighed 
and  shivered  and  massed  themselves  into  amorphous 
dimness  under  the  twilight. 

The  man  and  woman  stopped  together  a  while 
longer,  and  after  that  their  converse  ended.  They 
caressed  and  prepared  to  go  back  by  different  ways 
into  the  world. 

"  Come  good  or  evil,  fair  weather  or  foul,  may  we 
have  a  few  happy  returns  yet  of  this  day ;  and  may  I 
live  to  find  you  the  lily-of-the-valley  again  once  or 
twice  before  the  end,"  he  said. 

For  answer  she  kissed  him  again,  but  could  not 
trust  herself  to  speak. 


CHAPTER   VII 

LIFE  is  a  compromise  and  a  concession.  Accord- 
ing to  the  measure  of  our  diplomacy,  so  much 
shall  we  win  from  our  fellows ;  according  to  our 
physical  endowment,  so  much  will  Nature  grant.  All 
men  are  envoys  to  the  court  of  the  world,  and  it  de- 
pends upon  the  power  behind  them  whether  they  are 
heard  and  heeded,  or  slighted  and  ignored.  To  change 
the  figure,  each  among  us  sets  up  his  little  shop  in  the 
social  mart  and  tries  to  tempt  the  buyer;  but  few  are 
they  who  expose  even  necessary  wares,  and  fewer  still 
the  contemporary  purchasers  who  know  a  treasure 
when  they  see  it. 

An  accident  now  lifted  the  curtain  from  Humphrey 
Baskerville's  nature,  threw  him  for  a  day  into  the  com- 
panionship of  his  kind,  and  revealed  to  passing  eyes  a 
gleam  of  the  things  hidden  within  him.  No  conscious 
effort  on  his  part  contributed  to  this  illumination,  for 
he  was  incapable  of  making  such.  His  curse  lay  in 
this :  that  he  desired  to  sell,  yet  lacked  wit  to  win  the 
ear  of  humanity,  or  waken  interest  in  any  buyer's 
bosom.  Yet  now  the  goods  he  offered  with  such  ill 
grace  challenged  attention.  Accident  focussed  him  in 
a  crowd ;  and  first  the  people  were  constrained  to 
admit  his  presence  of  mind  at  a  crisis,  and  then  they 
could  not  choose  but  grant  the  man  a  heart. 

It  happened  that  on  the  day  before  Princetown  pony 
fair  Mr.  Baskerville's  groom  fell  ill  and  had  to  keep 
his  bed  ;  but  twenty  ponies  were  already  at  Prince- 
town.  Only  Humphrey  and  his  man  knew  their  exact 
value,  and  the  market  promised  to  be  unusually  good. 
His    stock  represented    several  hundred  pounds,    for 

264 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  265 

Mr.  Baskerville  bred  a  special  strain  possessing  the 
Dartmoor  stamina  with  added  quahties  of  speed  and 
style.  The  irony  of  chance  ordained  that  one  who 
despised  all  sport  should  produce  some  of  the  best 
polo  ponies  in  the  West  of  England. 

Mr.  Baskerville  saw  nothing  for  it  but  to  sell  by 
deputy  at  loss,  or  withdraw  his  stock  from  the  fair. 
He  debated  the  point  with  Mrs.  Hacker,  and  her 
common-sense  revealed  an  alternative. 

"Lord,  man  alive,  what  are  you  frightened  of?" 
she  asked.  "  Can't  you  go  up  along,  like  any  other 
chap  with  summat  to  sell,  and  get  rid  of  your  beasts 
yourself?  You  did  use  to  do  it  thirty  year  ago,  and 
nobody  was  any  the  worse,  I  believe." 

He  stared  at  her. 

"  Go  in  a  crowd  like  that  and  barter  my  things  like 
a  huckster  ? " 

"  Well,  why  not  ?  You'm  only  made  of  flesh  and 
bone  like  t'others.  You  won't  melt  away.  'Tis  just 
because  you  always  avoid  'em,  that  they  think  you 
give. yourself  airs,  and  reckon  they  ban't  good  enough 
company  for  you." 

"  I  don't  avoid  'em." 

"  Yes,  you  do.  But  you*m  not  the  only  honest  man 
in  the  world,  though  sometimes  you  think  you  are. 
And  if  you'd  ope  your  eyes  wider,  you'd  find  a  plenty 
others.  For  my  part,  if  I  was  paid  for  it,  I  couldn't 
number  more  rogues  in  Shaugh  than  I  can  count  upon 
the  fingers  of  both  hands." 

"  To  go  up  myself!  Who'd  believe  it  was  me  if 
they  saw  me  ?  " 

"  They  want  your  ponies,  not  you ;  and  when  it 
came  to  paying  the  price  of  the  ponies,  they'd  soon 
know  'twas  you  then." 

"  I  suppose  you  think  I  charge  too  much.  Like 
your  impudence  !     Are  you  going  ?  "  he  asked. 


266  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

"  Why,  of  course  Vm  going.  'Tis  my  only  '  out  * 
for  the  year." 

"  They'll  fancy  'tis  the  end  of  the  world  up  at 
*  Duchy  Inn  '  if  I  come  along  and  take  my  place  at 
the  ordinary." 

"  No,  they  won't  :  they'll  be  a  deal  too  busy  to 
trouble  about  you.  You  go,  master,  and  you'll  stand 
a  lot  better  in  your  own  eyes  for  going.  'Twill  be  a 
great  adventure  in  your  life.  You'm  a  deal  too  much 
up  on  the  hill  there,  along  with  the  foxes  and  other 
wild  things  ;  and  you  know  it." 

"  I  haven't  the  cut  for  a  revel.  'Tis  nonsense  to 
think  of  my  going  up." 

"  To  think  of  it  can't  do  no  harm,  anyway,"  she 
said.  "You  think  and  think,  and  you'll  find  'tis  your 
duty  as  a  sensible  creature  to  go." 

"  Not  my  duty.     'Twill  hurt  none  if  I   stay  away." 

"  'Twill  hurt  your  pocket.  You  know  right  well 
'tis  the  proper  thing  that  you  go.  And  if  you  do,  I'll 
ax  for  a  fairing.  And  if  you  get  me  one,  I'll  get  you 
one." 

"  You  can  put  off  old  age  like  a  garment  and  be  a 
girl  again,"  he  said. 

"  So  I  can,  then.  'Tis  your  brother  sets  that  wise 
fashion,  not  you.  He's  as  lively  as  a  kitten  when 
there's  a  frolic  in  the  air.  And  so  be  I  —  though  all 
sixty-five.  You  should  have  seen  me  at  giglet  market 
in  my  youth  !  " 

He  did  not  answer ;  but  the  next  morning  he  ap- 
peared shamefaced  and  clad  for  the  fair. 

"  Well  done,  you  !  "  cried  Mrs.  Hacker.  "  Be  you 
going  to  drive  the  black  gig  ?  I  was  riding  up  in  the 
pony-cart  along  with  Mr.  Waite's  housekeeper  from 
Coldstone,  but " 

"  You  can  come  with  me,  if  you  please.  All  foolery, 
and  'tis  offering  to  rain  —  however,  I'm  going  through 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  267 

with  the  job  now.  And  mind  you  don't  take  too 
much  liquor  up  there.  I  know  your  ways  when  you 
get  with  a  lot  of  silly  people." 

They  started  presently,  and  Humphrey  made  sour 
remarks  at  the  expense  of  Susan's  bonnet.  Then  by 
steep  ascent  and  descent  they  went  their  way  and  fell 
in  with  other  folk  also  bound  for  the  festivity.  Some 
they  passed  and  some  passed  them.  Cora  Lintern 
and  Ned  Baskerville  drove  together  in  a  flashy,  high- 
wheeled  dog-cart ;  and  the  sight  of  Cora  brought  a 
cloud  upon  Mr.  Baskerville.  She  was  soon  gone, 
however.  The  lofty  vehicle  slipped  by  with  a  glitter 
of  wheels,  a  puff  of  dust,  a  shout  from  Ned  as  he  lifted 
his  whip  hand,  and  a  flutter  of  pale  pink  and  blue 
where  Cora  sat  in  her  finery. 

"Heartless  minx!"  growled  the  old  man.  "A 
parrot  and  a  popinjay.  No  loss  to  the  world  if  that 
pair  was  to  break  their  necks  together." 

"  Don't  you  tell  such  speeches  as  that,  there's  a 
good  man,"  answered  Mrs.  Hacker.  "  The  mischief 
with  your  sort  is  that  you  be  always  crying  out  nasty 
things  you  don't  think  ;  which  is  just  the  opposite  of 
us  sensible  people,  as  only  think  the  nasty  things,  but 
take  very  good  care  for  our  credit's  sake  not  to  say 
'em.  None  like  you  for  barking  ;  and  them  as  hear 
you  bark  take  it  for  granted  you  bite  as  well.  And 
when  I  tell  'em  you  don't  bite,  they  won't  believe  it." 

"  Take  care  I  never  bite  you  for  so  much  plain 
speaking,"  he  said ;  "  and  I'll  thank  you  to  lay  hold 
on  the  reins  while  we  walk  up  this  hill ;  for  I  want  to 
read  a  letter.  'Tis  about  the  ponies  from  a  would-be 
buyer," 

He  read  and  Mrs.  Hacker  drove.  They  traversed 
the  miles  of  moorland  at  a  slow  pace,  and  not  a  few 
who  passed  them  displayed  surprise  at  the  spectacle  of 
Mr.  Baskerville  on  his  way  to  the  fair. 


268  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

At  Devil's  Bridge,  beneath  the  last  long  hill  into 
Princetown,  a  vehicle  from  Shaugh  overtook  them 
and  the  Linterns  appeared.  Heathman  was  driving, 
and  beside  him  sat  his  mother;  while  at  the  back  of 
the  cart  were  Nathan  Baskerville  and  Phyllis  Lintern. 

"  Hullo  !  Wonders  never  cease  !  "  cried  the  publi- 
can. "  Good  luck  and  long  life  to  you,  Humphrey  ! 
Now  I  couldn't  have  seen  a  better  sight  than  this. 
Hold  on  !      I  want  to  have  a  talk  afore  the  fair." 

"  If  you  want  to  talk,  I'll  onlight  and  you  do  the 
same,"  said  Nathan's  brother.  "  The  women  can  drive 
on,  and  we'll  walk  into  Princetown." 

Priscilla  Lintern  and  Mrs.  Hacker  kept  their  places 
and  drove  slowly  up  the  hill  side  by  side ;  but  not  be- 
fore Nat  had  chaffed  Susan  and  applauded  her  holiday 
bonnet.  Heathman  and  his  sister  walked  on  together; 
the  brothers  remained  behind. 

The  younger  was  in  uproarious  mood.  He  laughed 
and  jested  and  congratulated  Humphrey  on  his  cour- 
age in  thus  coming  among  the  people. 

None  would  have  recognised  in  this  jovial  spirit 
that  man  who  walked  not  long  before  with  a  woman  in 
North  Wood,  and  moved  heavily  under  the  burdens 
of  sickness  and  of  care.  But  to  Nathan  belonged  the 
art  of  dropping  life's  load  occasionally  and  proceeding 
awhile  in  freedom.  He  felt  physically  a  little  better, 
and  intended  to  enjoy  himself  to-day  to  the  best  of 
his  power.  Resolutely  he  banished  the  dark  clouds 
from  his  horizon  and  let  laughter  and  pleasure  possess 
him. 

"  How's  your  throat  ?  "  asked  Humphrey.  "  You 
don't  look  amiss,  but  they  tell  me  you're  not  well." 

"  I  hope  it  may  mend.  'Tis  up  and  down  with  me. 
I  can't  talk  so  loud  as  once  I  could,  and  I  can't  eat 
easy ;  but  what's  the  odds  as  long  as  I  can  drink .? 
I'm  all  right,  and  shall  be  perfectly  well  again  soon, 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  269 

no  doubt.  And  you  —  what  in  the  name  of  wonder 
brings  you  to  a  revel  ?  " 

"  My  ponies.  There's  twenty  and  all  extra  good. 
Chapman  goes  and  falls  ill  after  the  ponies  was  brought 
up  here.  The  fool  would  bring  'em  though  there's 
no  need.  Buyers  are  very  well  content  to  come  to  my 
paddocks.  But  custom  is  a  tyrant  to  the  old,  and 
if  I  didn't  send  to  the  sales,  Chapman  would  think 
something  had  gone  wrong  with  the  world." 

"  I'm  right  glad  you're  here,  and  I  hope  'tis  the  be- 
ginning of  more  gadding  about  for  you.  'Tis  men  like 
you  and  me  that  lend  weight  to  these  meetings.  We 
ought  to  go.     'Tis  our  duty." 

"  You're  better  pleased  with  yourself  than  I  am,  as 
usual." 

"  We  ought  to  be  pleased,"  answered  the  other 
complacently.  "  We  are  the  salt  of  the  earth  —  the 
rock  that  society  is  built  on." 

"  Glad  you're  so  well  satisfied." 

"Not  with  myself  specially;  but  I'm  very  well 
pleased  with  my  class,  and  the  older  I  grow  the 
better  I   think  of  it." 

"  People  be  like  yonder  pool  —  scum  at  the  top  and 
dirt  at  the  bottom,"  declared  Humphrey.  "  The  sweet 
water  is  in  the  middle  ;  and  the  useful  part  of  the  people 
be  the  middle  part." 

"  In  a  way,  yes.  We  of  the  lower  middle-class  are 
the  backbone  :  the  nation  has  to  depend  on  us  ;  but 
I'm  not  for  saying  the  swells  haven't  their  uses.  Only 
they'd  be  nought  without  us." 

"It  takes  all  sorts  to  make  a  world.  But  leave  that. 
I  ban't  up  here  to  talk  politics.  What  does  doctor 
say  about  your  throat  ?  " 

"  Leave  that  too.  I'm  not  here  to  talk  about  my 
health.  I  want  to  forget  it  for  a  few  hours.  The 
wedding  is  on  my  mind  just  now.      Mrs.   Lintern  and 


27©  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

her  daughter  intend  it  to  be  a  bit  out  of  the  common  ; 
and  so  do  I.  But  the  bride's  mother's  set  on  it  taking 
place  at  our  chapel,  and  Hester  wants  it  to  be  at 
church.     Ned  don't  care  a  rush,  of  course." 

"  It  ought  to  be  at  church." 

"  Don't  see  any  pressing  reason.     Toss  up,  I  say." 

"  You  should  know  better  than  to  talk  like  that. 
You  Dissenters " 

"  No  arguments,  Humphrey.  But  all  the  same  they 
must  be  married  in  church  or  chapel,  and  since  there's 
such  a  division  of  opinion  —  I'm  anxious  to  see  Ned 
married.  'Tis  more  than  time  and  certainly  no  fault 
of  his  that  they  didn't  join  sooner.  But  Cora  had  her 
own  ideas  and " 

"  Oblige  me  by  not  naming  either  of  them.  You 
can't  expect  me  to  be  interested.  Even  if  they  were 
different  from  what  they  are,  I  should  remember  the 
cruel  past  too  keenly  to  feel  anything  good  towards 
either  of  them." 

"  Let  the  past  go.  You're  too  wise  a  man  to 
harbour  unkind  thoughts  against  headstrong  youth. 
Let  'em  be  happy  while  they  can.  They'll  have  their 
troubles  presently,  like  the  rest  of  us." 

"  They'll  have  what  they're  brewing,  no  doubt. 
Empty,  heartless  wretches  —  I  will  say  it,  feel  as  you 
may  for  Cora." 

"  I  hope  you'll  live  to  see  her  better  part.  She's  a 
sensible  woman  and  a  loving  one,  for  all  you  think 
not.  At  any  rate,  you'll  come  and  see  them  married, 
Humphrey  ?  " 

"  You  can  ask  me  such  a  thing  ?  " 

"  Let  bygones  be  bygones." 

"  What  was  it  you  wanted  to  speak  to  me  about  ? " 

"  Just  that  —  the  wedding.  I  must  make  it  a  per- 
sonal matter.  I  attach  a  good  deal  of  importance  to 
it.      I'm  very  interested  in  the  Linterns  —  wrapped  up 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  271 

In  them  wouldn't  be  too  strong  a  word  for  it.  I'll 
confess  to  you  that  the  mother  is  a  good  deal  to  me  — 
my  best  friend  in  this  world.  I  owe  a  lot  of  my  happi- 
ness to  her.  She's  made  my  life  less  lonely  and  often 
said  the  word  in  season.  You  know  what  a  wise  woman 
can  be :  you  was  married  yourself." 

Humphrey  did  not  answer  and  his  brother  spoke 
again. 

"There's  only  us  two  left  now  —  you  and  me. 
You  might  pleasure  me  in  this  matter  and  come. 
Somehow  it's  grown  to  be  a  feeling  with  me  that  your 
absence  will  mar  all." 

"Stuff!  I've  been  the  death's-head  at  too  many 
feasts  in  our  family.  In  a  word,  I  won't  do  it.  I 
won't  be  there.  I  don't  approve  of  either  of  'em,  and 
I've  not  interest  enough  in  'em  now  to  take  me  across 
the  road  to  see  them." 

"  If  you'll  come,  the  marriage  shall  be  in  church. 
Priscilla  will  agree  if  I  press  it.  I  can't  offer  more 
than  that." 

"  I  won't  come,  so  leave  it." 

Nathan's  high  spirits  sank  for  a  little  while ;  then 
Princetown  was  reached  and  he  left  his  brother  and 
strove  to  put  this  pain  from  him  for  the  present,  as  he 
had  banished  all  other  sources  of  tribulation.  He  was 
soon  shaking  hands  with  his  acquaintance  and  making 
merry  among  many  friends.  But  Humphrey  pro- 
ceeded to  the  place  where  his  ponies  were  stalled,  and 
Immediately  began  to  transact  business  with  those  who 
were  waiting  for  him. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

GIPSY  blood  runs  thin  in  England  to-day,  but  a 
trickle  shall  be  found  to  survive  among  the 
people  of  the  booth  and  caravan  ;  and  glimpses 
of  a  veritable  Romany  spirit  may  yet  be  enjoyed  at 
lesser  fairs  and  revels  throughout  the  country.  By 
their  levity  and  insolence ;  by  their  quick  heels  and 
dark  faces ;  by  the  artist  in  them  ;  by  their  love  of 
beauty  and  of  music ;  by  their  skill  to  charm  money 
from  the  pockets  of  the  slow-thinking  folk  ;  and  by 
their  nimble  wits  you  shall  know  them. 

A  few  mongrels  of  the  race  annually  find  Princetown, 
and  upon  days  of  revel  may  there  be  seen  at  shooting- 
galleries,  *  high-fliers,'  and  '  roundabouts.' 

Here  they  are  chaffing  the  spectators  and  cajoling 
pennies  from  young  and  old;  here,  astounding  the 
people  by  their  lack  of  self-consciousness  ;  here,  sing- 
ing or  dancing ;  here,  chafering ;  here,  driving  hard 
bargains  for  the  local  ponies ;  here,  changing  their 
doubtful  coins  for  good  ones,  or  raising  strife  between 
market-merry  folk  and  prospering  from  the  quarrels 
of  honest  men,  after  the  manner  of  their  kind. 

Two  streams  of  holiday-makers  drifted  through  each 
other  and  through  the  little  fair.  They  passed  up  and 
down  the  solitary  street,  loitered  and  chattered,  greeted 
friends,  listened  to  the  din  of  the  music,  to  the  alterca- 
tions of  the  customers  and  salesmen,  to  the  ceaseless 
laughter  of  children  and  whinny  of  the  ponies. 

On  either  side  of  that  open  space  spread  in  the  vil- 
lage midst,  an  array  of  carts  had  been  drawn  up,  and 

272 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  273 

against  these  barricades  were  tethered  various  animals 
which  the  vehicles  had  brought.  They  stood  or  re- 
posed on  litter  of  fern  and  straw  cast  down  for  them. 

Here  were  pigs,  flesh-coloured  and  black,  and  great 
raddled  rams  in  a  panting  row.  Amid  the  brutes 
tramped  farmers  and  their  men. 

The  air  was  full  of  the  smell  of  live  mutton  and 
swine;  and  among  them  —  drifting,  stopping  in 
thoughtful  knots,  arguing,  and  laughing  heavily,  the 
slow-eyed  yokels  came  and  went.  The  rams  bleated 
and  dribbled  and  showed  in  a  dozen  ways  their  hatred 
of  this  publicity  ;  the  pigs  cared  not,  but  exhibited  a 
stoic  patience. 

Upon  the  greensward  beside  the  road  stood  sepa- 
rate clusters  of  guarded  ponies.  Old  and  young  they 
were,  gainly  and  ungainly,  white,  black,  and  brown, 
with  their  long  manes  and  tails  often  bleached  to  a 
rusty  pallor  by  the  wind  and  sun. 

In  agitated  groups  the  little  creatures  stood.  Com- 
pany cried  to  company  with  equine  language,  and  the 
air  was  full  of  their  squealings,  uttered  in  long-drawn 
protests  or  sudden  angry  explosions. 

Occasionally  a  new  drove  from  afar  would  arrive 
and  trot  to  its  place  in  double  and  treble  ranks  —  a 
passing  billow  of  black  and  bright  russet  or  dull  brown, 
with  foam  of  tossing  manes,  flash  of  frightened  eyes, 
and  soft  thud  and  thunder  of  many  unshod  hoofs. 

The  people  now  came  close,  now  scattered  before 
a  pair  of  uplifted  heels  where  a  pony,  out  of  fear, 
showed  temper.  The  exhibits  were  very  unequal. 
Here  a  prosperous  man  marshalled  a  dozen  colts  ;  here 
his  humbler  neighbour  could  bring  but  three  or  four 
to  market.  Sometimes  the  group  consisted  of  no 
more  than  a  mare  and  foal  at  foot. 

Round  about  were  children,  who  from  far  off  had 
ridden  some  solitary  pony  to  the  fair,  and  hoped  that 


274  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

they  might  get  the  appointed  price  and  carry  money 
home  to  their  parents  or  kinsfolk. 

Hanging  close  on  every  side  to  the  main  business 
and  thrusting  in  where  space  offered  for  a  stall,  rows 
of  small  booths  sprang  up ;  while  beyond  them  on 
waste  land  stood  the  merry-go-rounds,  spinning  to 
bray  of  steam-driven  organs,  the  boxing-tent,  the  beast 
show  and  the  arena,  where  cocoanuts  were  lifted  on 
posts  against  a  cloth. 

Here  worked  the  wanderers  and  played  their  parts 
with  shout  and  song;  but  at  the  heart  of  the  fair  more 
serious  merchants  stood  above  their  varied  wares,  and 
with  unequal  skill  and  subtlety  won  purchasers.  These 
men  displayed  divergent  methods,  all  based  on  practi- 
cal experience  of  human  nature. 

A  self-assertive  and  defiant  spirit  sold  braces  and 
leather  thongs  and  buckles.  His  art  was  to  pretend 
the  utmost  indifference  to  his  audience ;  he  seemed 
not  to  care  whether  they  purchased  his  goods  or  no, 
yet  let  it  be  clearly  understood  that  none  but  a  fool 
v/ould  miss  the  opportunities  he  offered. 

A  cheap-jack  over  against  the  leather-seller  relied 
upon  humour  and  sleight  of  hand.  He  sold  watches 
that  he  asserted  to  be  gold  ;  but  he  was  also  prepared  to 
furnish  clocks  of  baser  metal  for  more  modest  purses. 
He  dwelt  upon  the  quality  of  the  goods,  and  defied 
his  audience  to  find  within  the  width  and  breadth  of 
the  United  Kingdom  such  machinery  at  such  a  price. 
He  explained  also  very  fully  that  he  proposed  to 
return  among  them  next  year,  with  a  special  purpose 
to  make  good  any  defective  timepieces  that  might  by 
evil  chance  lurk  unsuspected  amid  his  stock.  He 
reminded  them  he  had  been  among  them  during  the 
previous  year  also,  as  a  guarantee  of  his  good  faith. 

Beyond  him  a  big,  brown  half-caste  sold  herb  pills 
and  relied  upon  a  pulpit  manner  for  his  success.     He 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  275 

came  with  a  message  of  physical  salvation  from  the 
God  of  the  Christians. 

He  mingled  dietetics  and  dogma  ;  he  prayed  openly ; 
he  showed  emotion ;  he  spoke  of  Nature  and  the 
Power  above  Nature;  he  called  his  Maker  to  witness 
that  nothing  but  the  herbs  of  the  field  had  gone  to 
make  his  medicine. 

He  had  good  store  of  long  words  with  which  to 
comfort  rustic  ears.  He  spoke  of  '  a  palliative,'  *  a 
febrifuge,'  and  *a  panacea.'  He  wanted  but  three- 
pence for  each  box,  and  asserted  that  the  blessing  of 
the  Lord  accompanied  his  physic. 

"Why  am  I  here?"  he  asked.  "Who  sent  me? 
I  tell  you,  men  and  women,  that  God  sent  me.  We 
must  not  carry  our  light  under  a  bushel.  We  must 
not  hide  a  secret  that  will  turn  a  million  unhappy 
men  and  women  into  a  million  happy  men  and  women. 
God  gave  me  this  secret,  and  though  I  would  much 
sooner  be  sitting  at  home  in  my  luxurious  surround- 
ings, which  have  come  to  me  as  the  result  of  selling 
this  blessed  corrective  of  all  ills  of  the  digestion  and 
alimentary  canals,  yet — no  —  this  world  is  no  place 
for  idleness  and  laziness.  So  I  am  here  with  my  pills, 
and  I  shall  do  my  Master's  work  so  long  as  I  have 
hands  to  make  the  medicine  and  a  voice  to  proclaim 
it.  And  in  Christ's  own  blessed  words  I  can  say  that 
where  two  or  three  just  persons  are  gathered  together, 
there  am  I  in  the  midst  of  them,  my  friends — there 
am  I  in  the  midst  of  them  !  " 

Amid  the  welter  of  earth-colour,  dun  and  grey  there 
flashed  yellow  or  scarlet,  where  certain  Italian  women 
moved  in  the  crowd.  They  sold  trinkets,  or  offered  to 
tell  fortunes  with  the  aid  of  little  green  parakeets  in  cages. 

The  blare  and  grunt  of  coarse  melody  persisted ; 
and  the  people  at  the  booths  babbled  ceaselessly  where 
they  sold  their  sweetmeats,  cakes,  and   fruit.      Some 


276  THE    THREE    BROTHERS 

were  anchored  under  little  awnings  ;  some  moved  their 
goods  about  on  wheels  with  flags  fluttering  to  attract 
attention. 

Old  and  young  perambulated  the  maze.  Every 
manner  of  man  was  gathered  here.  Aged  and  middle- 
aged,  youthful  and  young,  grey  and  white,  black  and 
brown,  bearded  and  shorn,  all  came  and  went  together. 
Some  passed  suspicious  and  moody ;  some  stood  gar- 
rulous, genial,  sanguine,  according  to  their  fortunes  or 
fancied  fortunes  in  the  matter  of  sale  and  barter. 

And  later  in  the  day,  by  the  various  roads  that 
stretch  north,  south,  and  west  from  Princetown,  droves 
of  ponies  began  to  wend,  some  with  cheerful  new 
masters ;  many  with  gloomy  owners,  who  had  nothing 
to  show  but  their  trouble  for  their  pains. 

This  spacious  scene  was  hemmed  in  by  a  rim  of 
sad-coloured  waste  and  ragged  hills,  while  overhead 
the  grey-ribbed  sky  hung  low  and  shredded  mist. 

Humphrey  Baskerville  had  sold  his  ponies  in  an 
hour,  and  was  preparing  to  make  a  swift  departure 
when  accident  threw  him  into  the  heart  of  a  disturb- 
ance and  opened  the  way  to  significant  incidents. 

The  old  man  met  Jack  Head  and  was  speaking 
with  him,  but  suddenly  Jack  caught  the  other  by  his 
shoulders  and  pulled  him  aside  just  in  time  to  escape 
being  knocked  over.  A  dozen  over-driven  bullocks 
hurtled  past  them  with  sweating  flanks  and  dripping 
mouths.  Behind  came  two  drovers,  and  a  brace  of 
barking  dogs  hung  upon  the  flanks  of  the  weary  and 
frightened  cattle. 

Suddenly,  as  the  people  parted,  a  big  brute,  dazed 
and  maddened  by  the  yelping  dogs  now  at  his  throat, 
now  at  his  heels,  turned  and  dashed  into  the  open 
gate  of  a  cottage  by  the  way. 

The  door  of  the  dwelling  stood  open  and  before  man 
or  sheepdog  had  time  to  turn  him,  the  reeking  bullock 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  277 

had  rushed  into  the  house.     There  was  a  crash  within, 
the  agonised  yell  of  a  child  and  the  scream  of  a  woman. 

Then  rose  terrified  bellowings  from  the  bullock, 
where  it  stood  jammed  in  a  passageway  with  two  fran- 
tic dogs  at  its  rear. 

A  crowd  collected,  and  Mr.  Baskerville  amazed 
himself  by  rushing  forward  and  shouting  a  direction. 
"  Get  round,  somebody,  and  ope  the  back  door !  " 

A  woman  appeared  at  the  cottage  window  with  a 
screaming  and  bloody  child  in  her  arms. 
'    "There's    no  way  out;    there's  no  way   out,"  she 
cried.     "  There's  no  door  to  the  garden  !  " 

"  Get  round ;  get  round !  Climb  over  the  back 
wall,"  repeated  Baskerville.  Then  he  turned  to  the 
woman.  "  Ope  the  window  and  come  here,  you  silly 
fool !  "  he  said. 

She  obeyed,  and  Humphrey  found  the  injured  child 
was  not  much  hurt,  save  for  a  wound  on  its  arm. 
Men  soon  opened  the  rear  door  of  the  cottage  and 
drove  the  bullock  out  of  the  house ;  then  they  turned 
him  round  in  the  garden  and  drove  him  back  again 
through  the  house  into  the  street. 

The  hysterical  woman  regarded  Mr.  Baskerville  as 
her  saviour  and  refused  to  leave  his  side.  The  first 
drover  offered  her  a  shillinor  for  the  damage  and  the 
second  stopped  to  wrangle  with  Jack  Head,  who 
blamed  him  forcibly. 

" 'Twas  the  dogs'  fault  —  anybody  could  see  that," 
he  declared.     "  We're  not  to  blame." 

"  The  dogs  can't  pay,  you  silly  fool,"  answered 
Head.  "  If  you  let  loose  a  dog  that  don't  know  his 
business,  you've  got  to  look  out  for  the  trouble  he 
makes.  'Tis  the  devil's  own  luck  for  you  as  that 
yowling  child  wasn't  killed.  And  now  you  want  to 
get  out  of  it  for  nought !  There's  a  pound's  worth  of 
cloam  smashed  in  there." 


278  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

The  woman,  who  was  alone,  sent  messengers  for  her 
husband,  but  they  failed  to  find  him  ;  then  she  declared 
that  Mr.  Baskerville  should  assess  the  amount  of  her 
claim  and  the  people  upheld  her.  Thus  most  reluc- 
tantly he  was  thrust  into  a  sort  of  prominence. 

"  You  was  the  only  one  with  sense  to  tell  'em  what  to 
do ;  and  so  you'd  better  finish  your  good  job  and  fix 
the  price  of  the  breakages,"  said  Jack. 

The  man  with  the  bullocks,  when  satisfied  that  Hum- 
phrey would  be  impartial  and  indifferent  to  either  party, 
agreed  to  this  proposal,  and  Mr.  Baskerville,  quite  be- 
wildered by  such  a  sudden  notoriety,  entered  the  cot- 
tage, calculated  the  damage  done,  and  soon  returned. 

"  You've  got  to  pay  ten  shillings,"  he  said.  "  Your 
bullock  upset  a  tray  and  smashed  a  terrible  lot  of  glass 
and  china.  He  also  broke  down  four  rails  of  the  bal- 
usters and  broke  a  lamp  that  hung  over  his  head.  The 
doctor  will  charge  a  shilling  for  seeing  to  the  child's  arm 
also.  So  that's  the  lowest  figure  in  fairness.  Less  it 
can  t  be. 

The  drover  cursed  and  swore  at  this.  He  was  a  poor 
man  and  would  be  ruined.  His  master  would  not  pay, 
and  if  the  incident  reached  headquarters  his  work  must 
certainly  be  taken  from  him.  None  offered  to  help 
and  Humphrey  was  firm. 

"  Either  pay  and  thank  God  you're  out  of  it  so 
easily,"  he  said,  "  or  tell  us  where  you  come  from." 

The  drovers  talked  together,  and  then  they  strove  to 
bate  the  charges  brought  against  them.  Their  victim, 
now  grown  calmer,  agreed  to  take  seven  shillings,  but 
Mr.  Baskerville  would  not  hear  of  this.  He  insisted 
upon  observance  of  his  ruling,  and  the  man  with  the 
bullocks  at  length  brought  out  a  leather  purse  and 
counted  from  it  seven  shillings.  To  these  his  com- 
panion added  three. 

Then  the  leader  flung  the  money  on  the  ground,  and 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS 


279 


to  accompaniment  of  laughter  and  hisses  hastened  after 
his  stock.  The  cattle  were  not  for  Princetown,  and 
soon  both  men  and  their  cavalcade  plodded  onward 
again  into  the  peace  and  silence  of  a  mist-clad  moor. 

They  cursed  themselves  weary,  kicked  the  offending 
dog  and,  with  a  brute  instinct  to  revenge  their  mishap, 
smote  and  bruised  the  head  of  the  bullock  responsible 
for  this  misfortune  when  it  stopped  to  drink  at  a  pool 
beside  the  road. 

Humphrey  Baskerville  won  a  full  measure  of  ap- 
plause on  this  occasion.  He  took  himself  off  as  swiftly 
as  possible  afterwards  ;  but  words  were  spoken  of  ap- 
proval and  appreciation,  and  he  could  not  help  hearing 
them.  His  heart  grew  hot  within  him.  A  man  shouted 
after  him,  "  Good  for  the  old  Hawk  ! " 

Before  he  had  driven  off,  Nathan  Baskerville  met  him 
at  *  The  Duchy  Hotel '  and  strove  to  make  him  drink. 

"  A  drop  you  must  have  along  with  me,"  he  said. 
"  Why,  there's  a  dozen  fellows  in  the  street  told  me 
how  you  handled  those  drovers.  You  ought  to  have 
the  Commission  of  the  Peace,  that's  what  you  ought  to 
have.     You're  cut  out  for  it." 

"  A  lot  of  lunatics,"  answered  the  elder.  "  No  pres- 
ence of  mind  in  fifty  of 'em.  Nought  was  done  by  me. 
The  job  might  have  cost  a  life,  but  it  didn't,  so  enough's 
said.     I  won't  drink.     I  must  get  back  home." 

"  Did  the  ponies  go  off  well  ?  " 

"Very.  If  you  see  Susan  Hacker,  tell  her  I've  gone. 
The  old  fool's  on  one  of  they  roundabouts,  I  expect. 
And  if  she  breaks  it  down,  she  needn't  come  back  to 
me  for  the  damages." 

"A  joke!  A  joke  from  you!  This  is  a  day  of 
wonders,  to  be  sure  ! "  cried  Nathan.  "  Now  crown 
all  and  come  along  o'  me,  and  we'll  find  the  rest  of  the 
family  and  the  Linterns,  9.nd  all  have  a  merry-go-round 
together ! " 


28o 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS 


But  his  brother  was  gone,  and  Nathan  turned  and 
rejoined  a  party  of  ram-buyers  in  the  street. 

Elsewhere  Mrs.  Lintern  and  Mrs.  Baskerville  walked 
together.  Their  hearts  were  not  in  the  fair,  but  they 
spoke  of  the  pending  marriage  and  hoped  that  a  happy 
union  was  in  store  for  Ned  and  Cora. 

The  young  couple  themselves  tasted  such  humble 
delights  as  the  fair  could  offer,  but  Cora's  pleasure  was 
represented  by  the  side  glances  of  other  girls,  and  she 
regarded  the  gathering  as  a  mere  theatre  for  her  own 
display.  Ned  left  her  now  and  again  and  then  returned. 
Each  time  he  came  back  he  lifted  his  hat  to  her  and  ex- 
hibited some  new  sign  of  possession. 

Cora  affected  great  airs  and  a  supercilious  play  of 
eyebrow  that  impressed  the  other  young  women.  She 
condescended  to  walk  round  the  fair  and  regarded  this 
perambulation  as  a  triumph,  until  the  man  who  sold 
watches  marked  her  among  his  listeners,  observed  her 
vanity,  and  raised  a  laugh  at  her  expense.  Then  she 
lost  her  temper  and  declared  her  wish  to  depart.  She 
was  actually  going  when  there  came  up  Milly  and  her 
husband,  Rupert  Baskerville. 

Ned  whispered  to  his  sister-in-law  to  save  the  situa- 
tion if  possible,  and  Milly  with  some  tact  and  some 
good  fortune  managed  to  do  so. 

Cora  smoothed  her  ruffled  feathers  and  joined  the 
rest  of  the  family  at  the  inn.  There  all  partook  of 
the  special  ordinary  furnished  on  this  great  occasion  to 
the  countryside. 

In  another  quarter  Thomas  Gollop,  Joe  Voysey  and 
their  friends  took  pleasure  after  their  fashion.  Every 
man  won  some  sort  of  satisfaction  from  the  fair  and 
held  his  day  as  well  spent. 

Perhaps  few  could  have  explained  what  drew  them 
thither  or  kept  them  for  many  hours  wandering  up  and 
down,  now  drinking,  now  watching  the  events  of  the 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  281 

fair,  now  eating,  now  drinking  again.  But  so  the  day 
passed  with  most  among  them,  and  not  until  evening 
darkened  did  the  mist  thicken  into  rain  and  seriously- 
damp  the  proceedings. 

Humphrey  Baskerville,  well  pleased  with  his  sales 
and  even  better  pleased  with  the  trivial  incident  of  the 
bullock,  went  his  way  homeward  and  was  glad  to  be 
gone.  His  state  of  mind  was  such  that  he  gave  alms 
to  two  mournful  men  limping  slowly  on  crutches  into 
Princetown.  Each  of  these  wounded  creatures  had 
lost  a  leg,  and  one  lacked  an  arm  also.  They  dragged 
along  a  little  barrel-organ  that  played  hymns,  and  their 
faces  were  thin,  anxious,  hunger-bitten. 

These  men  stopped  Mr.  Baskerville,  but  not  to  beg. 
They  desired  to  know  the  distance  yet  left  to  traverse 
before  they  reached  the  fair. 

"  We  set  out  afore  light  from  Dousland,  but  we 
didn't  know  what  a  terrible  road  'twas,"  said  one. 
"  You  see,  with  but  a  pair  o'  legs  between  us,  we  can't 
travel  very  fast." 

Humphrey  considered,  and  his  heart  being  uplifted 
above  its  customary  level  of  caution,  he  acted  with  most 
unusual  impulse  and  served  these  maimed  musicians  in 
a  manner  that  astounded  them.  His  only  terror  was 
that  somebody  might  mark  the  deed;  but  this  did  not 
happen,  and  he  accomplished  his  charity  unseen. 

"  It's  up  this  hill,"  he  said;  "but  the  hill's  a  steep 
one,  and  the  fair  will  be  half  over  afore  you  get  there 
at  this  gait." 

The  men  shrugged  their  shoulders  and  prepared  to 
stump  on. 

"  Get  in,"  said  Mr.  Baskerville.  "  Get  in,  the  pair 
of  you,  and  I'll  run  you  to  the  top." 

He  alighted  and  helped  them  to  lift  their  organ  up 
behind,  while  they  thanked  him  to  the  best  of  their 
power.     They  talked  and  he  listened  as  he  drove  them; 


282  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

and  outside  the  village,  on  level  ground,  he  dropped 
them  again  and  gave  them  half-a-crown.  Much  heart- 
ened and  too  astonished  to  display  great  gratitude,  they 
crawled  upon  their  way  while  Humphrey  turned  again. 

The  taste  of  the  giving  was  good  to  the  old  man, 
and  its  flavour  astonished  him.  He  overtook  the 
drovers  and  their  cattle  presently,  and  it  struck  him 
that  this  company  it  was  who  had  made  the  day  so 
remarkable  for  him. 

He  half  determined  with  himself  to  stop  and  speak 
with  them  and  even  restore  the  money  he  had  exacted; 
for  well  he  knew  the  gravity  of  their  loss. 

But,  unfortunately  for  themselves,  the  twain  little 
guessed  what  was  in  his  mind ;  they  still  smarted  from 
their  disaster,  and  when  they  saw  the  cause  of  it  they 
swore  at  him,  shook  their  fists  and  threatened  to  do 
him  evil  if  opportunity  offered. 

Whereupon  Mr.  Baskerville  hardened  his  heart, 
kept  his  money  in  his  pocket  and  drove  forward. 


CHAPTER   IX 

THE  sensitive  Cora  could  endure  no  shadow  of 
ridicule.  To  laugh  at  her  was  to  anger  her, 
for  she  took  herself  too  seriously,  the  common 
error  of  those  who  do  not  take  their  fellow-creatures 
seriously  enough.  When,  therefore,  she  committed  a 
stupid  error  and  Ned  chaffed  her  about  it,  there  sprang 
up  a  quarrel  between  them,  and  Cora,  in  her  wounded 
dignity,  even  went  so  far  as  to  talk  of  postponing 
marriage. 

Nathan  Baskerville  explained  the  complication  to  a 
full  bar ;  and  when  he  had  done  so  the  tide  of  opinion 
set  somewhat  against  Ned's  future  bride. 

"  You  must  know  that  Phyllis  Lintern  has  gone 
away  from  home,  and  last  thing  she  did  before  she 
went  was  to  ask  Cora  to  look  after  a  nice  little  lot  of 
young  ducks  that  belonged  to  her  and  were  coming 
forward  very  hopeful.  Of  course,  Cora  said  she  would, 
and  one  day,  mentioning  it  to  my  nephew  Rupert's 
wife,  Milly  told  her  that  the  heads  of  nettles,  well 
chopped  up,  were  splendid  food  for  young  ducks. 
Wishful  to  please  Phyllis  and  bring  on  the  birds,  what 
does  Cora  do  but  busy  herself  for  'em  ?  She  gets  the 
nettle-tops  and  chops  'em  up  and  gives  'em  to  the 
ducklings ;  and  of  course  the  poor  wretches  all  sting 
their  throats  and  suffocate  themselves.  For  why  ? 
Because  she  let  'em  have  the  food  raw  !  We  all  know 
she  ought  to  have  boiled  the  nettles.  And  a  good  few 
have  laughed  at  her  about  it  and  made  her  a  bit 
savage." 

"  That's  no  reason,  surely,  why  she  should  quarrel 

283 


284  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

with  her  sweetheart.  'Twasn't  his  fault,"  declared  Jack 
Head,  who  was  in  the  bar. 

"  None  in  the  world ;  but  Ned  joked  her  and  made 
her  rather  snappy.  In  fact,  he  went  on  a  bit  too  long. 
You  can  easily  overdo  a  thing  like  that.  And  none 
of  us  like  a  joke  at  our  expense  to  be  pushed  too 
far." 

"  It  shows  what  a  clever  woman  she  is,  all  the  same," 
declared  Mr.  Voysey  ;  "  for  when  Ned  poked  fun  at 
her  first,  which  he  did  coming  out  of  church  on  Sunday, 
I  was  by  and  heard  her.  What  d'you  think  she  said  ? 
*  You  don't  boil  thistles  for  a  donkey,'  says  she,  *  so 
how  was  anybody  to  know  you  boil  nettles  for  a  duck?* 
Pretty  peart  that —  eh  ?  " 

"  So  it  was,"  declared  Nathan.  "  Very  sharp,  and 
a  good  argument  for  that  matter.  I've  bought  Phyllis 
a  dozen  new  birds  and  nothing  more  need  come  of  it ; 
but  Ned's  a  bit  of  a  fool  here  and  there,  and  he  hadn't 
the  sense  to  let  well  alone ;  and  now  she's  turned  on 
him." 

"  He'll  fetch  her  round,  a  chap  so  clever  with  the 
girls  as  him,"  said  Voysey;  whereupon  Timothy  Waite, 
who  was  of  the  company,  laughed  scornfully. 

"  How  can  that  man  be  clever  at  anything  ?  "  he 
asked.  "  Here's  his  own  uncle.  Be  Ned  clever  at 
anything  on  God's  earth  but  spending  money,  Mr. 
Baskerville  ?      Come  now  !     An  honest  answer." 

"  Yes,"  replied  Nathan  promptly.  "  He  was  never 
known  to  fall  off"  a  horse." 

The  laugh  rose  against  Timothy,  for  the  farmer's 
various  abilities  did  not  extend  to  horsemanship.  He 
had  been  thrown  a  week  before  and  still  went  a  little 
lame. 

"  Ned's  all  right,"  added  Jack  Head.  "  Lazy,  no 
doubt  —  like  everybody  else  who  can  be.  But  he's 
generous  and  good-hearted,  and  no  man's  enemy.    The 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  285 

girl's  a  fool  to  keep  him  dangling.  A  little  more  of  it 
and  he'll  —  however,  I'll  not  meddle  in  other  people's 
business." 

Mr.  Gollop  entered  at  this  moment  and  saw  his  foe. 

"  Do  I  hear  John  Head  saying  that  he  don't  meddle 
with  other  people's  -business.?"  asked  the  sexton. 
"  Gin  cold,  please.  Well,  well ;  since  when  have 
Head  made  that  fine  rule  ? " 

"Drink  your  gin,"  said  Jack,  "and  then  have 
another.  You  ban't  worth  talking  to  till  you've  got 
a  drop  of  liquor  in  you.  When  you're  tuned  up  I'll 
answer  you.  How's  Masterman  getting  on  ?  He 
must  be  a  patient  man,  or  else  a  terrible  weak  one,  to 
have  you  still  messing  about  the  church." 

"  Better  you  leave  the  church  alone,"  retorted 
Thomas.  "You'd  pull  down  every  church  in  the 
land  if  you  could;  and  if  it  wasn't  for  men  like  me,  as 
withstand  your  sort  and  defy  you,  there'd  very  soon 
be  no  law  and  order  in  the  State." 

"  'Tis  your  blessed  church  where  there's  no  law  and 
order,"  answered  Jack.  "  The  State's  all  right  so  long 
as  the  Liberals  be  in  ;  but  a  house  divided  against  itself 
falleth.  You  won't  deny  that.  And  that's  the  hobble 
you  Christians  have  come  to.  And  so  much  the  easier 
work  for  my  side  —  to  sweep  the  whole  quarrelsome, 
narrow-minded  boiling  of  you  to  the  devil." 

"  Stop  there.  Jack  !  "  cried  Mr.  Baskerville.  "  No 
religion  in  this  bar  and  no  politics.  You  know  the 
rules." 

"  Let  him  go  on,"  said  Gollop  gloomily.  "  There's 
a  bitter  truth  in  what  he  says.  We're  not  shoulder  to 
shoulder  and  none  can  pretend  we  are.  Take  Master- 
man —  that  man  !  What  did  he  say  only  this  morning 
in  vestry  ?  *  Gollop,'  he  said,  *  the  roots  are  being 
starved.  If  we  don't  get  rain  pretty  quick  there'll  be 
no  turnips  —  no,  nor  mangolds  neither.'" 


286  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

Half  a  dozen  raised  their  voices  in  support  of  this 
assertion. 

"  That's  truth  anyway,"  declared  Timothy.  "  Never 
knew  such  a  beastly  drought  at  this  season.  Even 
rain  will  not  bring  the  crop  up  to  average  weight  now. 
It's  beyond  nature  to  do  it." 

"  Well,  he's  going  to  pray  for  rain,"  said  GoUop. 
"  Next  Sunday  we  shall  ax  for  *  moderate  rain  and 
showers.'  " 

"  Well,  why  not  ?  "  asked  Nathan.  "That's  what 
the  man's  there  for  surely." 

"  Why  not  ^  Because  the  glass  is  up  'pon  top  of 
everything,  and  the  wind's  in  the  east  steady  as  a 
rock.  That's  why  not.  You  don't  want  prayer  to  be 
turned  into  a  laughing-stock.  We  don't  want  our 
ministers  to  fly  in  the  face  of  Providence,  do  we  ?  To 
pray  for  rain  at  present  be  equally  mad  as  to  pray  for 
snow.  'Tis  just  courting  failure.  Then  this  here  man, 
Jack  Head,  and  other  poisonous  members,  will  laugh, 
like  Elijah  when  he  drawed  on  them  false  prophets, 
and  say  our  Jehovah  be  asleep." 

"  Not  me,"  answered  Head.  "  'Tis  your  faith  be 
asleep.  You've  given  your  side  away  properly  now, 
my  bold  hero  !  So  you've  got  such  a  poor  opinion  of 
your  Jehovah  that  you  reckon  to  ax  Him  to  take  the 
wind  out  of  the  east  be  going  too  far  ?  But  you're 
right.  Your  God  can't  do  it.  All  the  same.  Master- 
man's  a  better  Christian  than  you." 

"  You  speak  as  a  rank  atheist.  Jack,"  said  Timothy 
Waite.  "  And  what  sense  there  is  in  you  is  all  spoiled 
because  you're  so  fierce  and  sour." 

"Not  me  —  far  from  it.  We  was  talking  of  Jeho- 
vah, I  believe,  and  there's  no  law  against  free  speech 
now,  so  I've  a  right  to  say  my  say  without  being  called 
to  order  by  you  or  any  man.  Tom  here  don't 
trust  his  God  to  bring  rain  when  the  glass  is  set  fair ; 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  287 

and  I  say  that  he  be  perfectly  right  —  that's  all.  Gol- 
lop  ought  to  have  the  faith  that  moves  mountains,  no 
doubt;  but  he  hasn't.  He  can't  help  feeling  terrible 
shaky  when  it  comes  to  a  challenge.  That's  the  good 
my  side's  doing,  though  he  do  swear  at  us.  We're 
making  the  people  common-sensible.  Faith  have  had 
a  long  run  for  its  money.  Now  we're  going  to  give 
Works  a  bit  of  a  show.  Masterman  fawns  on  Jehovah 
like  a  spaniel  bitch,  and  thinks  that  all  this  shoe-licking 
be  going  to  soften  the  God  of  the  stars.  But  if  there  was 
a  God,  He'd  be  made  of  sterner  stuff  than  man  makes 
Him.  We  shouldn't  get  round  Him,  like  a  naughty 
boy  round  a  weak  father.  In  fact,  you  might  so  well 
try  to  stop  a  runaway  steam-roller  by  offering  it  a  cab- 
bage-leaf, as  to  come  round  a  working  God  by  offering 
Him  prayers." 

"  How  you  can  stand  this  under  your  roof,  Nathan, 
I'm  blessed  if  I  know,"  grumbled  Mr.  Gollop.  "  'Tis 
very  evil  speaking,  and  no  good  will  come  to  you  by 
It. 

"  Light  will  shine  even  on  this  man  afore  the 
end,"  declared  the  innkeeper.  "  God  will  explain  as 
much  as  is  good  for  Jack  to  know.  He  shows  each 
of  us  as  much  as  we  can  bear  to  see  —  like  He  did 
Moses.  If  Jehovah  was  to  shine  too  bright  on  the 
likes  of  Head  here.  He'd  dazzle  the  man  and  blind 
him." 

"  God  will  explain  —  eh  ?  That's  what  you  said, 
Nat.  Then  why  don't  He  explain  .?  I'm  a  reasonable 
man.  I'm  quite  ready  and  willing  to  hear.  But  'twill 
take  God  all  His  time  to  explain  some  of  His  hookem- 
snivey  tricks  played  on  honest,  harmless  humans. 
Let's  hear  first  why  He  let  the  snake  into  the  garden 
at  all,  to  fool  those  two  poor  grown-up  children.  You 
talk  about  original  sin  !  'Tis  a  dirty  lie  against  human 
nature.     If  you're  in  the  right,  'twas  your  God  sent  it 


288  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

—  Stuck  the  tree  under  Eve's  nose — just  as  if  I  put  a 
bunch  of  poison  berries  in  a  baby's  hand  and  said, 
'  You  mustn't  eat  'em,'  and  then  left  the  rest  to  chance 
and  an  enemy.  Who'd  be  blamed  if  the  child  ate  and 
died  ?  Why,  I  should.  And  jury  would  bring  it  in 
murder  —  quite  right  too.  Look  at  your  God's  black- 
guard doings  against  all  they  peaceful  people  He  set 
His  precious  Jews  against !  Shameful,  I  call  it.  Driv- 
ing 'em  out  of  their  countries,  harrying  'em,  killing  'em 
by  miracles,  because  He  knowed  the  Jews  wasn't  good 
men  enough  to  do  it.  Chosen  people !  A  pretty 
choice  !  He's  been  judging  us  ever  since  He  made 
us  ;  now  let's  judge  Him  a  bit,  and  see  what  His  games 
look  hke  to  the  eyes  of  a  decently  taught  Board  School 
boy." 

"  You'll  roast  for  this,  John  Head,  and  well  you'll 
deserve  it,"  said  Mr.  Gollop. 

"  Not  I,  Thomas.  I've  just  as  much  right  to  crack 
a  joke  against  your  ugly,  short-tempered  Jehovah  as 
you  would  have  to  laugh  at  the  tuft  of  feathers  on  the 
end  of  a  pole  that  foreign  savages  might  call  God. 
There's  not  a  pin  to  choose  betwixt  them  and  you." 

"  We  can  only  hope  you'll  have  the  light  afore 
you've  gone  too  far.  Jack,"  said  Nathan.  "You're 
getting  up  home  to  sixty,  and  I'm  sure  I  hope  God's 
signal-post  will  rise  up  on  your  path  afore  you  go 
much  further." 

"  'Tis  certainly  time,"  answered  Head.  "  And  if 
your  God's  in  earnest  and  wants  to  put  me  right,  the 
sooner  He  begins  the  better  for  us  both  —  for  my  sal- 
vation and  His  credit." 

"  He's  got  His  holy  self-respect,  however,"  argued 
Gollop.  "  If  I  was  Him,  I'd  not  give  myself  a  thought 
over  the  likes  of  you.  *  Good  riddance  '  —  that's  what 
I  should  say." 

"If  you  was  God  for  five  minutes  I  wonder  what 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  289 

you'd  do,  Tom,"  speculated  Joe  Voysey.  "  Give  me 
a  new  back,  I  hope.  That's  the  first  favour  I  should 
ax. 

"  I'd  catch  you  up  into  heaven,  Joe.  That's  the 
kindest  thing  the  Almighty  could  do  for  you." 

But  Voysey  looked  doubtful. 

"  If  you  was  to  wait  till  I  gived  the  word,  'twould  be 
better,"  he  said.  "  Nobody  wants  to  leave  his  job  un- 
finished." 

"  A  good  brain  gone  to  rot  —  that's  what's  happened 
to  you.  Jack,"  said  Nathan  sadly.  "  Lord,  He  only 
knows  why  you  are  allowed  to  think  such  thoughts. 
No  doubt  there's  a  reason  for  it,  since  nought  can  hap- 
pen without  a  reason  ;  but  the  why  and  wherefore  are 
hid  from  us  common  men,  like  much  else  that's  puz- 
zling. Anyway,  we  can  stick  to  this  —  we  Christians : 
though  you've  got  no  use  for  God,  Jack,  'tis  certain 
that  God's  got  a  use  for  you  ;  and  there  may  be  those 
among  us  who  will  live  to  see  what  that  use  is." 

"Well,  I'm  ready  for  a  whisper,"  declared  the  free- 
thinker. "He  won't  have  to  tell  me  twice  —  if  He 
only  makes  His  meaning  clear  the  first  time." 

They  talked  a  httle  longer,  and  then  Heathman 
Lintern  came  among  them. 

"Be  Jack  Head  here?"  he  asked.  "The  chimney 
to  his  house  have  took  fire  seemingly,  and  policeman's 
made  a  note  of  it.  But  'twas  pretty  near  out  when  I 
come  by." 

"  Hell !  "  cried  Jack.  "  That's  another  five  shiUing 
gone  ! 

He  left  hurriedly  to  the  tune  of  laughter,  and  failed 
to  hear  Gollop's  triumphant  final  argument. 

"There!  There!"  shouted  the  sexton.  "There 
'tis  —  'heir  in  his  everyday  speech!  He  can't  get 
away  from  it:  'tis  part  of  nature  and  a  common  item 
— just  as  natural  as  heaven.     And  argue  as  he  pleases, 


290 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS 


the  moment  he's  took  out  of  himself,  the  truth  slips. 
Well  may  he  say  '  hell '  !  There's  nobody  living  round 
here  will  ever  have  more  cause  to  say  it.  And  that 
he'll  find  long  afore  I,  or  another,  drop  the  clod  on 
his  bones." 


CHAPTER   X 

THANKS  more  to  the  diplomacy  of  Nathan  Bas- 
kerville  than  Ned's  own  skill  in  reconciliation, 
Cora  forgave  her  lover  and  their  marriage  day 
was  fixed.  Not  a  few  noticed  that  the  master  of '  The 
White  Thorn '  held  this  union  much  to  heart,  and 
indeed  appeared  more  interested  in  its  achievement 
than  any  other  save  Ned  himself. 

A  change  had  come  over  Nathan  and  his  strength 
failed  him.  The  affection  of  his  throat  gained  upon 
him  and  his  voice  grew  weaker.  He  resented  allu- 
sions to  the  fact  and  declared  that  he  was  well.  Only 
his  doctor  and  Priscilla  Lintern  knew  the  truth  ;  and 
only  she  understood  that  much  more  than  physical 
tribulation  was  responsible  for  the  innkeeper's  feverish 
activity  of  mind  and  unsleeping  energy  poured  forth 
in  secret  upon  affairs. 

The  extent  of  this  immense  diligence  and  devotion 
was  hidden  even  from  her.  She  supposed  that  a  tem- 
porary cloud  had  passed  away  ;  and  she  ceased  not, 
therefore,  from  begging  him  to  save  his  powers  and  so 
afford  himself  an  opportunity  to  recover. 

But  the  man  believed  that  he  was  doomed,  and 
suspected  that  his  life  could  only  be  held  upon  uncer- 
tain tenure  of  months. 

The  doctor  would  not  go  so  far  as  this  gloomy 
opinion  ;  yet  he  did  not  deny  that  it  might  be  justi- 
fied. 

Nathan  felt  no  doubt  in  his  own  mind,  and  he  be- 
lieved that  Cora's  wedding  was  the  last  considerable 
event  of  a  personal  and  precious  nature  that  he  could 
hope  to  see  accomplished. 

291 


292  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

Afterwards,  but  not  until  he  found  himself  upon 
his  deathbed,  the  innkeeper  designed  a  confession. 
Circumstances  and  justice,  as  he  conceived  it,  must 
make  this  avowal  private ;  but  those  most  interested 
were  destined  to  know  the  hidden  truth  concerning 
themselves.  He  had  debated  the  matter  with  Pris- 
cilla,  since  decision  rested  with  her  ;  but  she  was  of 
his  mind  and,  indeed,  had  been  the  first  to  suggest 
this  course. 

Cora's  shopping  roused  all  the  household  of  Under- 
shaugh  to  a  high  pitch  of  exasperation.  Much  to  the 
girl's  surprise  her  mother  produced  fifty  pounds  for  a 
wedding  outfit,  and  the  bride  employed  agreeable  days 
in  Plymouth  while  she  expended  this  handsome  gift. 

A  house  had  been  taken  at  Plympton.  The  face  of 
it  was  '  genteel '  in  Cora's  estimation ;  but  the  back 
was  not.  However,  the  rear  premises  satisfied  Ned, 
and  its  position  with  respect  to  town  and  country 
suited  them  both. 

There  remained  contracts  and  settlements,  in  which 
Nathan  Baskerville  represented  both  parties.  Ned 
was  generous  and  indifferent ;  Cora  exhibited  interest 
and  a  faculty  for  grasping  details.  She  told  herself 
that  it  was  only  reasonable  and  wise  to  do  so. 

At  any  time  the  reckless  Ned  might  break  his  neck  ; 
at  any  time  the  amorous  Ned  might  find  her  not  all- 
sufficing.  No  sentiment  obscured  Cora's  outlook. 
She  astounded  Nathan  Baskerville  by  the  shrewdness 
of  her  stipulations. 

Few  prophesied  much  joy  of  this  marriage,  and  even 
Priscilla,  albeit  Nathan  was  impatient  at  her  doubts, 
none  the  less  entertained  misgivings.  She  knew  the 
truth  of  her  daughter,  and  had  long  since  learned  the 
truth  concerning  young  Baskerville. 

Those  who  desired  to  comfort  her  foretold  that 
man  and  wife  would  go  each  their  own  way  and  mind 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  293 

each  their  own  business  and  pleasure.  Not  the  most 
sanguine  pretended  to  suppose  that  Ned  and  Cora 
would  unite  in  any  bonds  of  close  and  durable  affection. 

The  man's  mother  trusted  that  Cora's  common-sense 
and  practical  spirit  might  serve  as  a  steady  strain  to 
curb  his  slothful  nature  ;  but  May  Baskerville  was  the 
only  living  soul  who,  out  of  her  warm  heart  and  trust- 
ing disposition,  put  faith  in  his  marriage  to  lift  her 
brother  toward  a  seemly  and  steadfast  position  in  the 
ranks  of  men. 

At  Hawk  House  the  subject  of  the  wedding  might 
not  be  mentioned.  In  consequence  renewed  coolness 
had  arisen  between  the  brothers.  Then  came  a  rumour 
to  Humphrey's  ear  that  Nathan  was  ill,  and  he  felt 
concern.  The  old  man  had  no  eye  to  mark  physical 
changes.  He  was  slow  to  discern  moods  or  read  the 
differences  of  facial  expression,  begot  by  mental  trouble 
on  the  one  hand  and  bodily  suffering  on  the  other. 

Now,  greatly  to  his  surprise,  he  heard  that  Nathan 
began  to  be  very  seriously  indisposed.  The  news 
came  to  him  one  morning  a  month  before  Cora's 
wedding.  Heathman  Lintern  called  upon  the  subject 
of  a  stallion,  and  mentioned  casually  that  Humphrey's 
brother  had  lost  his  voice  and  might  never  regain  it. 

"'Tis  terrible  queer  in  the  bar  at  *  The  White 
Thorn  '  not  to  hear  him  and  to  know  we  never  may 
no  more,"  he  said.  "  He's  gone  down  and  down  very 
gradual  ;  but  now  he  can  only  whisper.  'Tis  a  wisht 
thing  to  lose  the  power  of  speech- — like  a  living  death, 
you  might  say." 

"When  did  this  happen?  I've  marked  no  change, 
though  'tis  a  good  few  weeks  now  since  I  spoke  with 
him." 

"  It  corned  gradual,  poor  chap." 

Humphrey  rose  and  prepared  on  the  instant  to  start 
for  Shaugh. 


294 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS 


"  I  must  see  the  man,"  he  said.  "  We're  out  for 
the  minute  owing  to  this  wedding.  But,  since  he's 
fallen  ill,  I  must  go  to  him.  We'll  hope  'tis  of  no 
account." 

They  set  out  together  and  Heathman  was  mildly 
surprised  to  learn  the  other's  ignorance. 

"  He  keeps  it  so  close  ;  but  you  can't  hide  your  face. 
We've  all  marked  it.  The  beard  of  the  man's  grown 
so  white  as  if  the  snow  had  settled  on  it,  and  his 
cheeks  be  drawed  too.  For  my  part  I  never  felt 
nothing  in  life  to  make  me  go  down-daunted  afore, 
except  when  your  son  Mark  died ;  but,  somehow, 
Nat  Baskerville  be  a  part  of  the  place  and  the  best 
part.  I've  got  a  great  feeling  towards  him.  'Tis 
making  us  all  very  uncomfortable.  Especially  my 
mother.  He  talks  to  her  a  lot,  feeling  how  more 
than  common  wise  she  be ;  and  she  knows  a  lot  about 
him.  She's  terrible  down  over  it  and,  in  fact,  'tis  a 
bad  job  all  round,  I'm  afraid." 

Humphrey's  answer  was  to  quicken  his  pace. 

"  He  kept  it  from  me,"  he  replied.  "  I  suppose  he 
thought  I  ought  to  have  seen  it  for  myself.  Or  he 
might  have  wrongly  fancied  I  didn't  care." 

"  Everybody  cares  —  such  a  wonderful  good  sort  as 
him.  'Twill  cast  a  gloom  over  this  blessed  wedding. 
I  wish  to  God  'twas  over  and  done  with  —  the  wed- 
ding, I  mean  —  since  it's  got  to  be." 

"  Why  do  you  wish  that  ?  " 

"  Because  I'm  sick  of  the  thing  and  that  awnself^ 
baggage,  my  sister.  God's  truth  !  To  watch  her  get- 
ting ready.  Everything's  got  to  go  down  afore  her, 
like  the  grass  afore  the  scythe.  You  may  work  your 
fingers  to  the  bone  and  never  get  a  thank  you.  I  had 
a  row  with  her  last  night,  and  she  got  lashing  me  with 
her  tongue  till   I   rose  up  and  fetched  her  a  damned 

1  Aiunidf —  selfish. 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  295 

hard  box  on  the  ear,  grown  woman  though  she  is. 
My  word,  it  tamed  her  too !  '  There  !  '  I  said. 
'  That's  better  than  all  the  words  in  the  dictionary. 
You  keep  your  snake's  tongue  between  your  teeth,'  I 
said.  There's  no  answering  her  with  words,  but  if 
her  husband  has  got  a  pinch  of  sense,  which  he  hasn't, 
he'll  do  well  to  give  her  a  hiding  at  the  start.  It  acted 
like  a  charm." 

"  Don't  want  to  hear  nothing  about  that.  They're 
making  their  own  bed,  and  'twill  be  uneasy  lying,"  said 
Humphrey.     "  Leave  them,  and  talk  of  other  things." 

"  Very  pleased,"  answered  Lintern.  "  Ban't  a  sub- 
ject I'm  fond  of.  Undershaugh  without  Cora  would 
be  a  better  place  to  live  in  —  I  know  that  and  I  say 
it.  And  my  mother  knows  it  too  ;  though  say  it  she 
won  t. 

They  talked  on  various  subjects,  and  Heathman  in- 
formed Mr.  Baskerville  that  he  would  soon  be  a  great- 
uncle. 

"  Rupert's  wife  be  going  to  have  a  babby  —  that's 
the  last  news.  I  heard  it  yester-eve  at  '  The  "White 
Thorn.'  " 

"  Is  that  so  ?  They  might  have  told  me,  you'd 
think.     Yet  none  has.     They  kept  it  from  me." 

"  Holding  it  for  a  surprise  ;  or  maybe  they  didn't 
think  'twould  interest  you." 

"  No  doubt  that  was  the  reason,"  answered  Hum- 
phrey. 

And  then  he  spoke  no  more,  but  worked  his  own 
thoughts  into  a  ferment  of  jealous  bitterness  until  the 
village  was  reached.  Arrived,  he  took  no  leave  of 
Heathman,  but  forgot  his  presence  and  hastened  to 
the  inn.  Nathan  was  standing  at  the  door  in  his 
apron,  and  the  brothers  entered  together. 

"  What's  this  I  hear  ?  "  said  Humphrey  as  they 
entered  the  other's  private  chamber. 


296  THE    THREE    BROTHERS 

"Well,  I'm  ill,  to  be  frank.  In  fact,  very  ill.  I'd 
hoped  to  hide  it  up  till  after  the  wedding ;  but  my 
voice  has  pretty  well  gone,  you  see.  Gone  for  good. 
You'll  never  hear  it  again.  But  that  won't  trouble 
you  much  —  eh  ?  " 

"  I  should  have  marked  something  wrong  when  last 
we  met,  no  doubt.  But  you  angered  me  a  bit,  and 
angry  men  are  like  drunken  ones ;  their  senses  fail 
them.  I  didn't  see  or  hear  what  had  happed  to  you. 
Now  I  look  and  listen,  I  mark  you're  bad.  What 
does  the  doctor  say  ?  " 

"'Tis  what  he  don't  say.  But  I've  got  it  out  of 
him.  He  took  me  to  Plymouth  a  month  ago  —  to 
some  very  clever  man  there.  I've  talked  such  a  lot 
in  my  life  that  I  deserve  to  be  struck  dumb  —  such  a 
chatterbox  as  I  have  been." 

"Is  that  all?" 

"  For  the  present.  We  needn't  go  beyond  that.  I 
shall  soon  get  used  to  listening  instead  of  talking. 
Maybe  I'll  grow  wiser  for  it." 

"  That  wasn't  all  they  told  you  ?  " 

Nathan  looked  round  and  shut  the  door  which  stood 
ajar  behind  them. 

"  There's  no  hiding  anything  from  you  that  you 
want  to  find  out.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  I'm  booked. 
I  know  it.  'Tis  only  a  question  of — of  months  — 
few  or  many.  They  give  me  time  to  put  things  as 
straight  —  as  straight  as  I  can." 

"  So  like  as  not  they  lie.  You'll  do  better  to  go  off 
to  London  while  you  may,  and  get  the  best  opinion 
up  there." 

"  I  would,  if  'twas  only  to  pleasure  you.  But  that's 
no  use  now." 

"  Can  you  let  down  your  food  easy  ?  " 

Nathan  shook  his  head. 

"  I   dare   not  eat  in  company  no  more,"  he  said ; 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  297 

"  it's  here."  He  put  his  hand  to  his  throat  and  then 
drew  it  down. 

"  You  don't  suffer,  I  hope  ?  " 

Nathan  nodded. 

"  I  can  tell  you,  but  I  trust  you  not  to  let  it  out  to 
any  soul.  We  must  have  the  wedding  off  cheerful 
and  bright.  I  shall  keep  going  till  then,  if  I'm  careful. 
Only  a  month  now." 

"You  ought  to  be  lying  up  close,  and  never  put 
your  nose  out  this  coarse  weather." 

"Time  enough.  Leave  it  now.  I'm  all  right. 
I've  had  a  good  life  —  better  than  you  might  think 
for.  I  wish  for  my  sake,  and  knowing  that  I've  got 
my  end  in  sight,  you'd  do  the  last  thing  you  can  for 
me  and  countenance  this  wedding.  Perhaps  I've  no 
right  to  ask ;  but  if  you  knew  —  if  you  knew  how 
hard  life  can  be  when  the  flesh  gives  way  and  there's 
such  a  lot  left  to  do  and  think  about.  If  you  only 
knew " 

"  You  say  '  the  last  thing  I  can  do  for  you.'  Are 
you  sure  of  that  ?  " 

A  strange  and  yearning  expression  crossed  the  face 
of  the  younger  man.  He  stroked  his  beard  nervously 
and  Humphrey,  now  awake  to  physical  accidents, 
marked  that  his  hands  were  grown  very  thin  and  his 
skin  had  taken  on  it  a  yellowish  tinge  of  colour. 

There  was  silence  between  them  for  some  moments. 
Then  Nathan  shook  his  head  and  forced  a  smile  upon 
his  face. 

"  Nothing  else  —  nothing  at  all.  But  it's  no  small 
thing  that  I  ask.  I  know  that.  You've  a  right  to 
feel  little  affection  for  either  of  them  —  Ned  or  Cora. 
But  my  case  is  different.     Cora's  mother " 

Again  he  stopped,  but  Humphrey  did  not  speak. 

"  Cora's  mother  has  been  a  good  friend  to  me  in 
many  ways.     She  is  a  clever  woman  and  can  keep  her 


298  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

own  counsel.  There's  more  of  Priscllla  Lintern  in 
Cora  than  you  might  think.  You'll  never  know  how 
terribly  Cora  felt  Mark's  death ;  but  she  did.  Only 
she  hid  it  close.     As  to  Ned " 

He  began  to  cough  and  suffered  evident  pain  in  the 
process.  When  the  cough  ceased  it  was  some  time 
before  he  could  speak.  Then,  to  Humphrey's  dis- 
comfort, his  brother  began  to  weep. 

"There  —  there,"  he  said,  as  one  talks  to  a  child. 
"  What  I  can  do,  I'll  do.  God  knows  this  is  a  harsh 
shock  to  me.  I  didn't  dream  of  such  a  thing  overtak- 
ing you.      How  old  are  you  ?  " 

"  In  my  sixty-third  year." 

"  Hope  despite  'em.  They  don't  know  everything. 
Pray  to  the  Almighty  about  it.  You're  weak.  You 
ought  to  drink,  if  you  can't  eat.  I'll  come  to  the 
wedding  and  I'll  give  the  woman  a  gift  —  for  your 
sake  and  her  mother's  —  not  for  her  own." 

Nathan,  now  unnerved,  could  not  reply.  But  he 
took  his  brother's  hand  and  held  it. 

"God  bless  you  for  this,"  he  whispered.  "If you 
could  but  understand  me  better  and  believe  that  with 
all  my  black  faults  I've  meant  well,  I  should  die  easier, 
Humphrey." 

"  Don't  talk  about  dying.  You're  a  bit  low.  I 
haven't  forgotten  when  Mark  went.  Now  'tis  my 
turn.     Why  don't  you  trust  me  ?  " 

"You  never  trusted  me,  Humphrey." 

The  other  darted  a  glance  and  Nathan's  eyes  fell. 

"Never  —  and  you  were  right  not  to,"  he  added. 

Humphrey  rose. 

"  I'm  your  brother  and  your  friend.  I  can't  be  dif- 
ferent to  what  I  am.  I  don't  respect  you  —  never  did. 
But  —  well — a  silly  word  most  times,  but  I'll  use  it — 
I  love  you  well  enough.  Why  shouldn't  I  ?  You're 
my  brother  —  all  I've  got  left.     I'm  cut  up  about  this. 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  299 

I  wish  I  could  lighten  your  load,  and  I'm  willing  to 
do  it  if  'tis  in  my  power." 

"  You  have.  If  you  come  to  that  wedding  I  shall 
die  a  happy  man." 

"  That's  nought.  Ban't  there  anything  deeper  I  can 
do  —  for  you  yourself  and  your  peace  of  mind  ?  " 

Again  Nathan  struggled  with  his  desires.  But  pride 
kept  him  silent.     He  could  not  tell  the  truth. 

"  No,"  he  answered  at  last.  "  Nothing  for  me 
myself." 

"  Or  for  any  other  ?  " 

The  innkeeper  became  agitated. 

"  No,  no.  You've  done  a  good  day's  work.  No 
more  for  the  present.  I've  not  thrown  up  the  sponge 
yet.  Will  you  take  a  glass  of  the  old  sloe  gin  before 
you  go  ? " 

Humphrey  shook  his  head. 

"  Not  for  me.     When's  the  wedding  ?  " 

"Third  of  November." 

"I  shall  be  there,  and  your  —  Cora  Lintern  will 
have  a  letter  from  me  next  week." 

"  You  make  me  a  happier  man  than  you  know, 
Humphrey." 

"  Let  it  rest  then.      I'll  see  you  again  o'  Sunday." 

They  parted,  and  while  one  put  on  his  hat  and  hast- 
ened with  tremulous  excitement  to  Undershaugh,  the 
other  breasted  the  hill  homewards,  and  buttoned  his 
coat  to  the  wind  which  sent  leaves  flying  in  wild  com- 
panies at  the  spinney  edge  by  Beatland  Corner. 

The  sick  man  rejoiced  upon  his  way ;  the  hale  man 
went  moodily. 

"  I  can  do  no  more,"  said  Humphrey  to  himself. 
"  He's  a  Baskerville,  despite  the  grip  of  death  on  him. 
Perhaps  I  was  a  fool  to  tell  him  I  didn't  respect  him. 
He'll  think  of  it  again  when  he's  got  time  for  thought 
by  night,  and  'twill  rasp  home." 


300  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

Following  upon  this  incident  it  seemed  for  a  season 
that  Nathan's  health  mended.  His  disease  delayed  a 
little  upon  its  progress,  and  he  even  hoped  in  secret 
that  his  brother  might  be  right  and  the  physicians 
wrong.  He  flashed  with  a  spark  of  his  old  fire.  He 
whispered  jokes  that  woke  noisy  laughter.  In  secret 
he  ticked  off  the  days  that  remained  before  Ned  and 
Cora  should  be  married. 

It  wanted  less  than  a  fortnight  to  the  event,  and  all 
was  in  readiness  for  it.  Humphrey  Baskerville  had 
sent  Cora  twenty  pounds,  and  she  had  visited  him  and 
thanked  him  personally  for  his  goodness.  The  old 
man  had  also  seen  Ned,  and  although  his  nephew 
heard  few  compliments  and  came  from  the  interview 
in  a  very  indignant  frame  of  mind,  yet  it  was  felt  to  be 
well  that  Humphrey  had  thus  openly  suffered  the  past 
to  be  obliterated. 

Then  came  a  midnight  when  Priscilla  Lintern,  lying 
awake  and  full  of  anxious  thoughts,  heard  upon  the 
silence  a  sound.  At  first  she  believed  it  to  be  the 
four  feet  of  some  wandering  horse  as  he  struck  the 
ground  with  his  hoofs  in  leisurely  fashion,  and  slowly 
passed  along  the  deserted  road  ;  then  she  perceived 
that  it  was  the  two  feet  of  a  man  moving  briskly  and 
carrying  him  swiftly  forward.  The  feet  stopped,  the 
outer  wicket  gate  was  opened,  and  some  one  came  to 
the  door.  Priscilla's  window  looked  forth  from  a 
thatched  dormer  above,  and  now  she  threw  it  up  and 
leant  out.  She  knew  by  intuition  the  name  of  the 
man  below. 

"  Is  that  you,  Jim  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Yes'm.  Master's  took  cruel  bad  and  can't  fetch 
his  breath.  He  knocked  me  up,  and  I  went  first  for 
Miss  Gollop,  who  was  to  home  luckily.  Then  I 
comed  for  you." 

Mrs.  Lintern  was  already  putting  on  her  clothes. 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  301 

"You'd  best  to  go  back,"  she  said.  "I'll  be  up 
over  at  once,  after  I've  waked  up  my  son  and  sent 
him  riding  for  doctor." 

Fifteen  minutes  later  Heathman,  still  half  asleep, 
cantered  on  a  pony  through  a  rainy  night  for  medical 
help,  and  his  mother  hastened  up  to  '  The  White 
Thorn,'  and  steeled  her  heart  for  what  she  might 
find  there. 

She  had  long  learned  to  conceal  all  emotion  of 
spirit,  and  she  knew  that  under  no  possible  stress  of 
grief  or  terror  would  truth  have  power  to  escape  the 
prison  of  her  heart. 


CHAPTER    XI 

THE  accident  of  a  heavy  cold  had  suddenly  ag- 
gravated the  morbid  condition  of  Nathan  Bas- 
kerville's  throat,  and  set  all  doubt  of  the  truth 
at  rest.  Often  on  previous  occasions  he  had  antici- 
pated death  at  short  notice,  and  prepared  to  face  it ; 
but  now  he  trusted  fate  not  to  deal  the  final  blow  be- 
fore his  daughter's  marriage.  His  only  concern  was 
to  be  on  his  feet  again  swiftly,  that  none  of  the  plans 
for  the  wedding  should  be  changed. 

The  doctor  warned  him  that  he  was  very  ill,  and 
took  the  gravest  view  of  his  condition  ;  but  Nathan, 
out  of  a  sanguine  heart,  declared  that  he  would  make 
at  least  a  transient  recovery.  He  obeyed  the  medical 
man's  directions  very  carefully,  however ;  he  kept  his 
bed  and  put  himself  into  the  hands  of  the  parish 
nurse. 

In  sombre  triumph  she  came  to  this  important  case, 
and  brought  with  her  certain  errors  of  judgment  and 
idiosyncrasies  of  character  that  went  far  to  counter- 
balance real  ability  begot  of  experience.  She  was  a 
good  nurse,  but  an  obstinate  and  foolish  woman.  No 
more  conscientious  creature  ruled  a  sick  room  or 
obeyed  a  doctor's  mandate ;  but  she  added  to  her 
prescribed  duties  certain  gratuitous  moral  ministra- 
tions which  were  not  required  by  science  or  de- 
manded by  reason. 

Mrs.  Lintern  saw  Mr.  Baskerville  often,  and  some- 
times shared  the  night  watches  with  Eliza  Gollop. 
The  latter  viewed  her  attentions  to  Nathan  and  her 
emotion   before   his   suffering   with   a   suspicious   eye. 

302 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  303 

But  she  reserved  comment  until  after  the  end.  The 
case  was  not  likely  to  be  a  long  one  in  her  opinion. 
For  one  week  little  happened  of  a  definite  character, 
and  during  that  time  Nathan  Baskerville  saw  his 
relations  and  several  of  his  more  intimate  friends. 
Then  ensued  a  malignant  change,  and  at  the  dawn 
of  this  deterioration,  after  the  doctor  had  left  him. 
Miss  Gollop  sat  alone  with  her  patient  and  endeav- 
oured to  elevate  his  emotions. 

"  I've  flashed  a  bit  of  light  on  a  wandering  soul  at 
many  a  deathbed,"  she  declared  ;  "  and  I  hope  I  shall 
be  spared  to  do  so  at  many  more.  There's  not  a  few 
men  and  women  that  wouldn't  hear  me  in  health,  but 
they  listened,  meek  as  worms,  when  the  end  was  in 
sight,  and  they  hadn't  strength  left  to  move  an  eye- 
lash. That's  the  time  to  drive  truth  home,  Mr.  Bas- 
kerville, and  I've  done  it.  But  always  cheerful,  mind. 
I'm  not  the  sort  to  give  up  hoping." 

"  I'm  sure  not,"  he  v/hispered.  "  Wasn't  Christ's 
first  and  last  message  hope  ?  " 

"Don't  you  talk.  Let  me  do  the  talking.  Yes, 
'twas  hope  He  brought  into  this  hopeless  world. 
But  even  hope  can  be  trusted  too  much.  You 
must  put  your  hope  in  the  next  world  now,  not  in 
this  one,  I'm  afraid." 

"  Did  he  say  so  ?  " 

"  Yes  —  I  knew  he  would.  Death  was  in  his  eyes 
when  he  went  out  of  your  chamber.  Still,  there's 
plenty  of  tim.e.  Things  may  mend.  He's  going  to 
send  a  new  physic." 

"  What's  the  good  of  that  if  I've  got  to  go  ?  " 

"  You'll  know  presently,  my  poor  man.  'Tis  to 
ease  what  be  bound  to  creep  over  you  later  on." 

"  Bodily  pain's  nought.  Haven't  I  suffered  all 
that  man  can  suffer  ?  " 

"No,   you   haven't  —  not   yet.      Don't   talk   about 


304 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS 


that  part.  You  shan't  suffer  while  I'm  here  —  not 
if  I  can  help  it  in  reason,  and  under  doctor's  orders. 
But  I  won't  stray  beyond  them  ;  I  was  never  known 
to  take  anything  upon  myself,  like  some  of  they  hos- 
pital chits,  that  call  themselves  nurses,  do." 

"  When  is  Mrs.  Lintern  coming?" 

Eliza's  lips  tightened. 

"  Very  soon,  without  a  doubt ;  though  why,  I  can't 
ezacally  say.  Listen  to  me  a  little  afore  she's  here. 
'Tis  my  duty  to  say  these  things  to  you,  and  you're 
not  one  that  ever  stood  between  man  or  woman  and 
their  duty." 

"  I'll  not  see  them  married  now.  That's  cruel  hard 
after ■ " 

"  How  can  you  say  that  ?  You  may  be  there  in 
the  spirit,  if  not  in  the  flesh.  I  suppose  you  ban't 
one  of  they  godless  ones  that  say  ghosts  don't  walk  ? 
Haven't  I  beheld  'em  with  these  eyes  ?  Didn't  I  go 
down  to  Mrs.  Wonnacott  at  Shaugh  Bridge  in  the 
dimpsy  of  the  evening  two  year  ago ;  and  didn't  I 
see  a  wishtness  coming  along  out  of  they  claypits 
there  ?  'Tis  well  known  I  seed  it ;  and  if  it  weren't 
the  spirit  of  Abraham  Vosper,  as  worked  there  for 
fifty  year  and  then  was  run  over  by  his  own  team  of 
bosses  and  fractured  to  death  in  five  places,  whose 
spirit  was  it  ?  So  you  may  be  at  your  nephew's  wed- 
ding with  the  best ;  and,  for  my  part,  I  shall  know 
you  be  there,  and  feel  none  the  less  cheerful  for  it." 

"So  much  to  do  —  so  many  to  save  —  and  no 
strength  and  no  time  —  no  time,"  he  said. 

The  air  was  dark  and  hurtling  with  awful  wings  for 
Nathan  Baskerville.  He  heard  and  saw  the  storm 
coming.  But  others  would  feel  it.  He  was  safe  from 
the  actual  hurricane,  but,  by  anticipation,  dreadfully 
he  endured  it  now.  Death  would  be  no  release  save 
from  physical  disaster.     His  place  was  with  the  living, 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  305 

not  with  the  dead.  Cruelly  the  living  must  need  him 
presently  ;  the  dead  had  no  need  of  him. 

Miss  Goilop  supposed  that  she  read  her  patient's 
heart. 

"  'Tis  your  own  soul  you  must  seek  to  save,  Mr. 
Baskerville.  None  can  save  our  souls  but  ourselves. 
And  as  for  time,  thanks  to  the  rivers  of  blood  Christ 
shed,  there's  always  time  for  a  dip  in  'em.  You're 
well  thought  on.  But  that's  nought.  'Tis  the  bird's- 
eye  view  the  Almighty  takes  that  will  decide.  And 
our  conscience  tells  us  what  that  view's  like  to  be. 
'Tis  a  good  sign  you  be  shaken  about  it.  The  best 
sort  generally  are.  I've  seen  an  evil  liver  go  to  his 
doom  like  a  babby  dropping  asleep  off  its  mother's 
nipple ;  and  I've  seen  a  pious  saint,  such  as  my  own 
father  was,  get  into  a  terrible  tear  at  the  finish,  as  if 
he  seed  all  the  devils  in  hell  hotting  up  against  his 
coming." 

She  ministered  to  the  sick  man,  then  sat  down  and 
droned  on  again.  But  he  was  not  listening ;  his 
strength  had  nearly  gone,  his  gaiety  had  vanished  for 
ever.  Not  a  smile  was  left.  The  next  world  at  this 
juncture  looked  inexpressibly  vain  and  futile.  He 
cared  not  a  straw  about  it.  He  was  only  concerned 
with  his  present  environment  and  the  significance  of 
passing  from  it  at  this  juncture. 

"Runout  —  all  run  out!"  he  whispered  to  him- 
self. 

Would  there  be  no  final  parenthesis  of  strength  to 
deal  with  the  manifold  matters  now  tumbling  to  chaos  ? 
Was  the  end  so  near?  He  brushed  aside  lesser 
things  and  began  to  think  of  the  one  paramount  obli- 
gation. 

"  Why  don't  she  come?  Why  don't  she  come?" 
he  whispered ;  but  Miss  Goilop  did  not  hear  him. 

This  was  a  sort  of  moment  when  she  felt  the  call  of 


3o6  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

her  faith  mighty  upon  her.  She  had  often  inoppor- 
tunely striven  to  drag  a  dying's  man's  mind  away  from 
earth  to  the  spectacle  of  heaven  and  the  immense  dif- 
ficulty of  winning  it. 

"  How  many  houses  have  you  got,  Mr.  Basker- 
ville  ?  "  she  asked  abruptly  ;  and  in  a  mechanical  fash- 
ion he  heard  and  answered  her. 

"  Six  —  two  here  and  four  at  Bickleigh ;  at  least, 
they  can't  be  called  mine,  I'm  afraid,  they're  all " 

"  And  you'd  give  the  lot  for  one  little  corner  in  a 
heavenly  mansion  —  wouldn't  you,  Mr.  Baskerville  ?  " 

"No  doubt  —  no  doubt,"  he  said.  "Don't  talk 
for  a  bit.  I'm  broken  ;  I'm  terrible  anxious  ;  I  must 
see Give  me  something  to  drink,  please." 

While  she  obeyed  him  Mrs.  Lintern  came  in.  The 
doctor,  who  had  perceived  her  tragic  interest  in  the 
patient,  kept  her  closely  informed  of  his  condition,  and 
Priscilla  had  learned  within  the  hour  that  Nathan  was 
growing  worse. 

Now  she  came,  and  Mr.  Baskerville  asked  Miss 
Gollop  to  leave  them. 

"  I  can't  think  why,"  murmured  Eliza.  "  I'm  not 
generally  told  to  go  out  except  afore  relations.  Still,  I 
can  take  my  walk  now  instead  of  this  afternoon.  And 
if  the  new  physic  comes,  don't  you  give  him  none, 
Mrs.  Lintern,  please.  'Tis  very  powerful  and  danger- 
ous, and  only  for  skilled  hands  to  handle." 

Neither  spoke  until  the  nurse  had  departed. 

"  And  I  shall  be  gone  exactly  twenty  minutes  and 
no  more,"  she  said.  "  I've  got  my  reputation,  I 
believe,  if  some  of  us  haven't;  but  with  chapel 
people " 

The  exact  problem  respecting  chapel  people  she  left 
unstated,  and  in  closing  the  door  behind  her  made 
some  unnecessary  noise. 

Then  Priscilla  folded  Nathan  in  her  arms  and  kissed 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  307 

him.  He  held  her  hand  and  shut  his  eyes  while  she 
talked ;  but  presently  he  roused  himself  and  indicated 
that  the  confession  to  his  children  must  not  in  safety 
be  longer  delayed. 

"  I  don't  feel  particular  worse,  though  I  had  a  bit  of 
a  fight  for  wind  last  night ;  but  I  am  worse,  and  I  may 
soon  be  a  lot  worse.  They'd  better  all  come  to-day  — 
this  afternoon." 

"  They  shall,"  she  promised. 

"If  that  was  all  —  my  God,  if  that  was  all,  Pris- 
cilla !  " 

"  It  is  all  that  matters." 

"  'Tis  the  least  —  the  very  least  of  it.  Dark  —  dark 
wherever  I  turn.  Plots  miscarried,  plans  failed,  good 
intentions  all  gone  astray." 

She  thought  that  he  wandered. 

"  Don't  talk,  'tis  bad  for  you.  If  you've  got  to  go, 
go  you  must  — God  pity  me  without  you!  But  you 
are  all  right,  such  a  steadfast  man  as  you.  The  poor 
will  call  you  blessed,  and  your  full  tale  of  well-doing 
will  never  be  told." 

"Well-meaning,  that's  all  —  not  well-doing.  A 
dead  man's  motives  don't  count,  'tis  his  deeds  we  rate 
him  by.  He's  gone.  He  can't  explain  what  he 
meant.  Pray  for  me  to  live  a  bit  longer,  Priscilla. 
Beg  'em  for  their  prayers  at  the  chapel ;  beg  'em  for 
their  prayers  at  church.  I'm  terrible,  terrible  frighted 
to  go  just  now,  and  that's  truth.  Frighted  for  those  I 
leave  —  for  those  I  leave." 

She  calmed  him  and  sought  to  banish  his  fears. 
But  he  entered  upon  a  phase  of  mental  excitement, 
deepening  to  frenzy.  He  was  bathed  in  sweat  and 
staring  fixedly  before  him  when  the  nurse  returned. 

After  noon  the  man  had  regained  his  nerve  and 
found  himself  ready  for  the  ordeal.  A  dose  of  the  new 
drug  brought  ease  and  peace.      He  was  astonished  and 


3o8  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

sanguine  to  feel  such  comfort.  But  his  voice  from 
the  strain  of  the  morning  had  almost  become  extin- 
guished. 

When  Priscilla  and  his  children  came  round  him 
and  the  family  were  alone,  he  bade  the  woman  speak. 

"  Tell  them,"  he  said.  "I'm  not  feared  to  do  it, 
since  you  wish  them  to  know,  but  my  throat  is 
dumb." 

Heathman  stood  at  the  bottom  of  the  bed  and  his 
mother  sat  beside  it.  Cora  and  Phyllis  were  in  chairs 
by  the  fire.  They  looked  and  saw  Mrs.  Lintern  clasp 
her  hands  over  Nathan  Baskerville's,  The  act  in- 
spired her,  and  she  met  the  astonished  glances  of  her 
children. 

"  For  all  these  years,"  she  said,  "  you've  been  kept 
without  hearing  the  truth,  you  three.  You  only 
knew  I  was  a  widow,  and  that  Mr.  Baskerville  was  a 
widower,  and  that  we  were  friends  always,  and  that 
he  never  married  again  because  his  dead  wife  didn't 
want  him  to.  But  there's  more  to  know.  After 
Mrs.  Baskerville  died,  Nathan  here  found  me  an 
orphan  girl,  working  for  my  living  in  a  china  and  glass 
shop  at  Bath.  I  hadn't  a  relation  or  friend  in  the 
world,  and  he  got  to  love  me,  and  he  wanted  to  marry 
me.  But  I  wouldn't  have  it,  because,  in  honour 
to  his  wife's  relations,  if  he'd  married  me  he'd  have 
had  to  give  up  five  thousand  pound.  And  they 
would  have  taken  very  good  care  he  did  so.  The  law 
was  his  side,  but  truth  was  against  it,  since  his  wife 
gave  him  the  money  only  if  he  didn't  wed.  She 
couldn't  enforce  such  a  thing,  but  he  acted  as  if  she 
could.  I  went  to  live  with  him,  and  you  three  children 
were  born.  Then,  a  bit  after,  he  came  back  here,  and 
of  course  I  came  with  him.  He's  your  father,  but 
there's  no  call  for  any  else  to  know  it  but  us.  I 
don't  care,  and  never  shall  care  if  everybody  knows  it. 
A  better  man  won't  breathe  God's  air  in  this  world  than 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  309 

your  father,  and  no  woman  have  been  blessed  with  a 
kinder  husband  in  the  eye  of  the  Almighty.  But 
there's  you  three  to  think  of,  and  'twould  be  against 
you  if  this  was  known  now.  He  didn't  even  want  to 
tell  you  ;  but  I  was  determined  that  you  should  know 
it  afore  either  of  us  died.  And  now  it's  pleased  God 
to  shorten  your  dear  father's  days ;  and  you've  got  to 
hear  that  he  is  your  father." 

There  was  a  silence. 

"  I  ask  them  to  forgive  me,"  whispered  Nathan 
Baskerville.  "  I  ask  my  son  and  my  daughters  to 
forgive  me  for  what  I've  done." 

"  No  need  for  that,"  answered  Priscilla.  "  Lie  down 
and  be  easy,  and  don't  get  excited." 

He  had  sat  up  and  was  holding  his  beard,  and  strok- 
ing it  nervously. 

Mrs.  Lintern  shook  his  pillow  and  took  his  hand 
again.  Then  she  looked  at  her  son,  who  stood  with 
his  mouth  open,  staring  at  the  sick  man.  His  expres- 
sion indicated  no  dismay,  but  immense  astonishment. 

"  Well,  I'm  damned  !  "  he  said.  "  This  beats  cock- 
fighting  !  You  my  father !  And  now  you'm  going 
to  drop  out — just  when  I  might  have  been  some  use 
to  you.     There  !  what  a  'mazing  thing,  to  be  sure." 

"Call  him  by  his  right  name  then  —  for  my  sake, 
Heathman,"  urged  his  mother. 

"Why  —  good  God!  —  I  will  for  his  own,"  an- 
swered the  man.  "  I  don't  care  a  curse  about  such 
things  as  laws  and  all  the  rest  of  it.  He's  been  a  rare 
good  sort  all  his  life ;  and  no  man  could  have  a 
better  father,  whichever  side  the  blanket  he  was  got. 
I'll  call  him  father,  and  welcome,  and  I  wish  to  Christ 
he  wasn't  going  to  die." 

Heathman  came  and  took  Nathan's  hand,  and  his 
mother  broke  down  at  his  words,  buried  her  face  in  the 
counterpane  and  wept. 


3IO  THE    THREE    BROTHERS 

"  Tell  them  to  come  over,"  whispered  Mr.  Basker- 
ville  to  his  son.  "  And  thank  you,  and  God  bless  you, 
son.  You've  done  more  than  you  know  to  lighten  a 
cruel  load." 

"  Come  here,  you  two,  and  kiss  your  father,"  said 
Heathman. 

The  girls  came,  and  first  Phyllis  kissed  Nathan 
nervously,  and  then  the  touch  that  he  hungered  for 
rested  a  moment  on  his  cheek.  With  Cora's  kiss  the 
tension  subsided  ;  he  sank  back,  and  Priscilla  drew  the 
sheet  up  to  his  beard,  and  again  lifted  the  pillow. 

"  Now  I  shall  go  in  some  sort  of  peace,  though  an 
erring  and  a  sinful  man,"  he  murmured.  "  If  you  can 
forgive  me,  so  will  my  Saviour.  And  let  this  secret  be 
a  secret  for  ever.  Remember  that,  all  of  you.  'Tis 
beyond  human  power  to  make  you  legitimate  Basker- 
villes  ;  but  Baskervilles  you  are,  and,  please  God,  will 
lead  a  better  and  wiser  life  than  I  have  led.  No  need 
to  tell  anybody  the  truth.  Forgive  your  father,  and 
forget  him  so  soon  as  ever  you  can ;  but  worship  your 
mother  always  —  to  your  dying  day  worship  her;  pro- 
tect her  and  shield  her,  and  stand  between  her  and  the 
rough  wind,  and  be  proud  of  having  such  a  blessed 
brave  woman  for  a  mother." 

"You  needn't  tell  me  that,"  said  Heathman. 

The  other  stopped,  but  held  up  his  hand  for  silence. 
After  a  little  rest  he  proceeded. 

"  The  time's  coming  when  she  will  need  all  the  love 
and  wit  you've  got  among  you.  'Tis  no  good  talking 
much  about  that,  and  I  haven't  the  human  courage 
left  to  meet  your  hard  faces,  or  tears,  or  frowns.  All 
I  say  is,  forgive  me,  and  love  your  mother  through 
thick  and  thin.  All  the  blame  is  mine  —  none  of  it 
beloncfs  to  her." 

o 

He  held  his  hand  out  to  Cora.  She  was  sitting  on 
the  edge  of  the  bed  looking  out  of  the  window. 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  311 

"You'll  remember,  my  Cora,"  he  said.  "And  — 
and  let  me  hear  you  call  me  '  father '  just  once  —  if 
you  can  bring  yourself  to  do  it." 

"  The  money,  dear  father  ?  "  she  asked. 

He  smiled,  and  it  was  the  last  time  that  he  ever  did  so. 

"  Like  my  sensible  Cora,"  he  answered.  But  he 
did  not  continue  the  subject. 

"  You'd  best  all  to  go  now,"  declared  Priscilla. 
She  rose  and  looked  straight  into  the  eyes  of  her  chil- 
dren each  in  turn.  The  girls  flinched ;  the  son  went 
to  her  and  kissed  her. 

"  Don't  you  think  this  will  make  any  difference  to 
me,"  said  Heathman.  "  You're  a  damned  sight  too 
good  a  mother  for  me,  whether  or  no  —  or  for  them 
women  either;  and  this  man  here  —  our  father,  I 
should  say  —  needn't  worrit  about  you,  for  I'll  always 
put  you  afore  anything  else  in  the  world." 

"And  so  will  I,  mother,"  said  Phyllis. 

"  Of  course,  we  all  will,"  added  Cora ;  "  and  the 
great  thing  must  be  for  us  all  to  keep  as  dumb  as 
newts  about  it.  'Twould  never  do  for  it  to  come  out 
—  for  mother's  sake  more  than  ours,  even.  I  don't 
say  if  for  our  sakes,  but  for  mother's  sake,  and  for 
father's  good  name,  too." 

"  Such  wisdom  —  such  wisdom  !  "  said  Nathan. 
"  You've  all  treated  me  better  than  I  deserved  —  far 
better.  And  God  will  reward  you  for  such  high  for- 
giveness to  a  wicked  wretch.  I'll  see  you  all  again 
once  before  I  die.  Promise  that.  Promise  you'll 
come  again,  Cora." 

"  I  will  come  again,"  she  said ;  "  and  please,  father, 
make  mother  promise  on  her  oath  to  be  quiet  and 
sensible  and  not  run  no  risks.  If  it  got  out  now  — 
you  never  know.  We're  above  such  small  things,  but 
many  people  would  cold  shoulder  us  if  they  heard  of 
it.     You  know  what  people  are.'* 


312  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

Her  mother  looked  at  her  without  love.  The  girl 
was  excited ;  she  began  to  appreciate  the  significance 
of  what  she  had  heard  ;  her  eyes  were  wet  and  her 
voice  shook. 

"  I'll  be  'quiet  and  sensible,'  Cora  Lintern,"  said  the 
mother.  "  I've  been  '  quiet  and  sensible '  for  a  good 
many  years,  I  believe,  and  I  shan't  begin  to  be  noisy 
and  foolish  now.  You're  quite  safe.  Better  you  all 
go  away  now  and  leave  us  for  the  present." 

They  departed  silently,  and,  once  below,  the  girls 
crept  off  together,  like  guilty  things,  to  their  home, 
while  Lintern  dallied  in  the  bar  below  and  drank.  He 
was  perfectly  indifferent  to  the  serious  side  of  his  dis- 
covery, and,  save  for  his  mother's  sake,  would  have 
liked  to  tell  the  men  in  the  bar  all  about  it.  He  re- 
garded it  rather  as  a  matter  of  congratulation  than  not. 
No  spark  of  mercenary  feeling  touched  his  emotion. 
That  he  was  a  rich  man's  son  had  not  yet  occurred  to 
him  ;  but  that  he  was  a  good  man's  son  and  a  popular 
man's  son  pleased  him. 

Mrs.  Lintern  suffered  no  detraction  in  his  eyes. 
He  felt  wonder  when  he  considered  her  power  of 
hiding  this  secret  for  so  many  years,  and  he  experi- 
enced honest  sorrow  for  her  that  the  long  clandestine 
union  was  now  to  end.  The  day's  event,  indeed, 
merely  added  fuel  to  the  flame  of  his  affection  for  her. 

But  it  was  otherwise  with  the  sisters.  Phyllis 
usually  took  on  the  colour  of  Cora's  thought,  and  now 
the  elder,  with  no  little  perspicacity,  examined  the 
situation  from  every  point  of  view. 

"  The  only  really  bright  side  it's  got  is  that  there'll 
be  plenty  of  money,  I  suppose.  I'd  give  a  sovereign, 
Phyllis,  to  see  the  will.  Father  —  how  funny  it  sounds 
to  say  it— poor  father  was  always  terrible  fond  of  me, 
and  I've  often  wondered  why  for.  Now,  of  course, 
*tis  easy  to  explain." 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS 


313 


"  What  about  the  wedding?  "  asked  Phyllis.  "'Twill 
have  to  be  cruel  quiet  now,  1  suppose." 

"  Certainly  not,"  answered  her  sister.  "  'Twill  have 
to  be  put  off,  that's  all.  I  won't  have  a  scrubbly  little 
wedding  smothered  up  in  halt  mourning,  or  some  such 
thing  ;  but,  come  to  think  of  it,  we  shan't  figure  among 
the  mourners  in  any  case  —  though  we  shall  be  among 
them  really.  'Twill  be  terrible  difficult  to  help  giving 
ourselves  away  over  this.  I  think  the  best  thing 
would  be  for  mother  to  take  the  money  and  clear  out, 
and  go  and  live  somewhere  else  —  the  further  off  the 
better.  For  that  matter,  when  the  will's  read,  every- 
body will  guess  how  it  is." 

"  Heathman  might  go  on  with  the  public-house." 

"Yes,  he  might.  But  I  hope  he'll  do  no  such 
thing,"  answered  her  sister.  "  Fle's  always  the  thorn 
in  my  side,  and  always  will  be.  Don't  know  the 
meaning  of  the  word  'decency.'  However,  he's  not 
like  to  trouble  us  much  when  we're  married.  I  shan't 
be  sorry  to  change  my  name  now,  Phyllis.  And  the 
sooner  you  cease  to  be  called  Lintern,  too,  the  better." 

"  About  mother  ?  " 

"  I  shouldn't  presume  to  say  a  word  about  mother, 
one  way  or  the  other,"  answered  Cora.  "  I'm  not  a 
fool,  and  I'm  not  going  to  trouble  myself  about  the 
things  that  other  people  do ;  but  all  the  same,  I  shall 
be  glad  to  get  out  of  it  and  start  with  a  clean  slate 
among  a  different  class  of  people." 

"What  amazing  cleverness  to  hide  it  all  their  lives 
like  that,"  speculated  Phyllis.  "  I'm  sure  us  never 
would  have  been  so  clever  as  to  do  it." 

"  It  became  a  habit,  no  doubt.  'Twas  salt  to  their 
lives,  I  reckon,  and  made  'em  all  the  fonder  of  each 
other,"  declared  Cora.  "  Everyday  married  life  must 
have  looked  terrible  tame  to  them  —  doing  what  they 
did.     Their  time  was  one  long  love-making  in  secret." 


314  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

"  I'm  awful  sorry  for  mother  now,  though,"  con- 
tinued Phyllis  ;  "  because  when  he  dies  she  can't  put 
on  weeds  and  go  and  hear  the  funeral  sermon,  and  do 
all  the  things  a  proper  widow  does  do." 

"  No,"  admitted  her  sister  ;  "  that  she  certainly  can't. 
She'll  have  to  hide  the  truth  pretty  close  from  this  day 
forward,  that's  very  clear.  She  owes  that  to  me  — 
and  to  you  ;  and  I  shall  see  she  pays  her  debt." 

"  She  will,  of  course,"  replied  the  other.  "She's  a 
terrible  brave  woman,  and  ahvays  has  been.  She'll 
hide  it  up  close  enough  —  so  close  as  we  shall,  for  that 
matter.  Heathman's  the  only  one  who's  like  to  let  it 
out.     You  know  what  a  careless  creature  he  is." 

Cora  frowned. 

"  I  do,"  she  said.  "  And  I  know  there's  no  love 
lost  between  him  and  me.  A  coarse  man,  he  is,  and 
don't  care  what  gutter  he  chooses  his  friends  out  of. 
Take  one  thing  with  another,  it  might  be  so  well  to 
marry  Ned  at  the  appointed  time,  and  get  it  hard  and 
fast." 

So  they  talked,  and  misprized  Heathman  from  the 
frosty  standpoint  of  their  own  hearts.  Rather  than 
bring  one  shadow  on  his  mother's  fame,  the  brother  of 
these  girls  would  have  bitten  out  his  tongue  and 
swallowed  it. 


CHAPTER   XII 

N^ATHAN  BASKERVILLE'S  bedroom  faced 
the  south.  A  text  was  nailed  upon  the  wall 
over  his  head,  and  an  old  photograph  of  his 
father  stood  upon  the  mantelpiece.  To  right  and  left 
of  this  memorial  appeared  trinkets  made  of  shells.  A 
pair  of  old  carriage  lamps,  precious  from  association, 
decorated  either  end  of  the  mantelshelf  An  old  print 
of  Niagara  Falls,  that  his  mother  had  valued,  was  nailed 
above  it. 

A  white  curtain  covered  the  window,  but  there  was 
no  blind,  for  this  man  always  welcomed  daylight.  On 
the  window-ledge  there  languished  a  cactus  in  a  pot. 
It  was  a  gift  under  the  will  of  an  old  dead  woman  who 
had  tended  it  and  cherished  it  for  twenty  years.  One 
easy  chair  stood  beside  the  bed,  and  on  a  table  at  hand 
were  food  and  medicine. 

Many  came  to  see  the  dying  man,  and  Humphrey 
Baskerville  visited  him  twice  or  thrice  in  every  week. 

More  than  once  Nathan  had  desired  to  speak  of 
private  matters  to  his  brother,  but  now  he  lacked  the 
courage,  and  soon  all  inclination  to  discuss  mundane 
affairs  departed  from  him. 

There  followed  a  feverish  week,  in  which  Nathan 
only  desired  to  listen  to  religious  conversation.  Re- 
corded promises  of  hope  for  the  sinner  were  his  penul- 
timate interest  on  earth.  He  made  use  of  a  strange 
expression  very  often,  and  desired  again  and  again  to 
hear  the  Bible  narrative  that  embraced  it. 

" '  This  day  shait  thou  be  with  me  in  Paradise,'  " 
he  said  to  Humphrey  and  to  many  others.  "  I  cling 
to  that.      It  was  spoken  to  a  thief  and  a  failure." 

315 


3i6  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

All  strove  to  comfort  him,  but  a  great  mental  incu- 
bus haunted  his  declining  hours.  His  old  sanguine 
character  seemed  entirely  to  have  perished ;  and  its 
place  was  taken  by  spirits  of  darkness  and  of  terror. 

" '  The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  the  beginning  of  wis- 
dom,' "  he  said  to  Eliza  GoUop,  when  she  was  alone 
with  him.  "  If  I'd  marked  that  better,  I  might  now 
have  got  beyond  that  stage  and  learned  to  love  Him. 
But  I'm  in  fear  —  my  life  hasn't  took  me  further  than 
that  —  all's  fearful  still." 

"  No  need  in  your  case,  I  hope,  so  far  as  mortal 
man  can  say,"  she  answered.  "  'Tis  natural  to  be  un- 
easy when  the  journey's  end  falls  in  sight ;  and  we  all 
ought  to  be.  But  then  comes  Christ  and  casts  out 
fear.  You've  a  right,  so  far  as  man  can  say,  to  trust 
Him  and  fear  nought." 

"  But  man  doesn't  know.  Yet  He  forgave  the  dy- 
ing thief. " 

"  He  did  so,  though  us  have  no  right  to  say  whether 
'twas  a  bit  of  rare  kindness  in  Him,  or  whether  he  made 
a  practice  of  it.  But  for  my  part  I  steadfastly  believe 
that  He  do  forgive  everything  but  the  sin  against  the 
Holy  Ghost.  Of  course,  that's  beyond  His  power, 
and  would  never  do." 

Mrs.  Lintern  spent  much  time  at  'The  White 
Thorn,'  and  since  her  visits  relieved  Eliza  of  work, 
she  acquiesced  in  them,  while  reserving  the  right  of 
private  judgment.  Priscilla  and  her  children  all  saw 
the  sufferer  together  more  than  once  ;  and  then  came  a 
day  when  Heathman,  Cora,  and  Phyllis  took  their  leave 
of  him. 

The  young  man  then  secreted  his  emotion  and 
roamed  for  an  hour  alone  upon  the  Moor ;  the  girls 
felt  it  but  little. 

Cora  declared  afterwards  to  Phyllis  that  since  this 
great  confession  had  been  made,  her  mind  dimly  re- 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  317 

membered  her  tender  youth  and  a  man  in  it.  This 
man  she  had  regarded  as  her  father. 

All  the  children  were  deceived  at  an  early  age.  They 
had,  indeed,  been  led  implicitly  to  suppose  that  their 
father  died  soon  after  the  birth  of  Phyllis. 

One  last  conversation  with  his  brother,  Humphrey 
long  remembered.  It  was  the  final  occasion  on  which 
Nathan  seemed  acutely  conscious,  and  his  uneasiness 
of  mind  clearly  appeared. 

They  were  alone,  and  the  elder  perceived  that 
Nathan  desired  and  yet  feared  to  make  some  state- 
ment of  a  personal  character.  That  he  might  ease  the 
other's  mind  and  open  the  way  to  any  special  conver- 
sation he  desired,  Mr.  Baskerville  uttered  certain  gen- 
eral speeches  concerning  their  past,  their  parents,  and 
the  different  characteristics  of  temperament  that  had 
belonged  to  Vivian  and  themselves. 

"  We  were  all  as  opposite  as  men  can  be,  and  looked 
at  life  opposite,  and  set  ourselves  to  win  opposite  good 
from  it.  Who  shall  say  which  comes  out  best  ?  On 
the  whole,  perhaps  Vivian  did.  He  died  without  a 
doubt.  There  are  some  men  bound  to  be  pretty 
happy  through  native  stupidity  and  the  lack  of  power 
to  feel;  and  there  are  some  men  —  mighty  few  —  rise 
as  high  as  happiness,  and  glimpse  content  by  the  riches 
of  their  native  wisdom.  I've  found  the  real  fools  and 
the  real  wise  men  both  seem  to  be  happy.  A  small 
brain  keeps  a  man  cheerful  as  a  bird,  and  a  big  one 
leads  to  what's  higher  than  cheerfulness;  but  'tis  the 
middle  bulk  of  us  be  so  often  miserable.  We'm  too 
witty  to  feed  on  the  fool's  pap  of  ignorance ;  and  not 
witty  enough  to  know  the  top  of  wisdom.  I  speak 
for  myself  in  that ;  but  you've  been  a  happy,  hopeful 
man  all  your  days ;  so  belike,  after  all,  you're  wiser 
than  I  granted  you  to  be." 

"  Me  wise  !     My  God  !     Don't  you  say  that.     My 


3i8  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

happiness  was  a  fool's  happiness  ;  my  laughter  a  fool's 
laughter  all  the  time.  At  least  —  not  all  the  time; 
but  at  first.  We  do  the  mad  things  at  the  mad  age, 
and  after,  when  the  bill  comes  in  —  to  find  us  grown 
up  and  in  our  right  minds  —  we  curse  Nature  for  not 
giving  us  the  brains  first  and  the  powers  afterwards. 
Man's  days  be  a  cruel  knife  in  the  hand  of  a  child. 
Too  often  the  heedless  wretch  cuts  hisself  afore  he's 
learned  how  to  handle  it,  and  carries  the  scar  for 
ever. 

"  True  for  you.  Nature's  a  terrible  poor  master,  as 
I've  always  said,  and  always  shall.  We  know  it;  but 
who  stands  up  between  a  young  man  and  his  youth  to 
protect  him  therefrom  ?  We  old  blids  see  'em  think- 
ing the  same  vain  things,  and  doing  the  same  vain 
things,  and  burning  their  fingers  and  scorching  their 
hearts  at  the  same  vain  fires  ;  and  we  look  on  and 
grin,  like  the  idiots  we  are,  and  make  no  effort  to  help 
'em.  Not  you,  though  —  not  you.  You  was  always 
the  young  man's  friend.  You  never  was  a  young 
man  yourself  exactly.  An  old  head  on  young  shoul- 
ders you  always  carried ;  and  so  did  I." 

"Don't  think  it  —  not  of  me.  'Tisn't  so.  No 
man  was  madder  than  me  ;  none  was  crueller ;  none 
committed  worse  sins  for  others'  backs  to  bear.  The 
best  that  any  man  will  be  able  to  say  of  me  a  month 
after  I'm  in  my  grave  is  that  I  meant  well.  And 
maybe  not  many  will  even  say  that.  Death's  no  evil 
to  me,  Humphrey,  but  dying  now  is  a  very  cruel 
evil,  I  assure  you.  The  cloud  lies  behind,  not  in 
front." 

"  So  it  does  with  every  man  struck  down  in  the 
midst  of  his  work.  Shall  you  write  your  own  verse 
according  to  our  old  custom  ?  " 

The  other  shook  his  head. 

"  No.      I'll  stick  up  no  pious  thought  for  men  to 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  319 

spit  upon  when  they  pass  my  grave.  I'd  rather  that 
no  stone  marked  it.  'Twill  be  remembered  —  in  one 
heart  —  and  that's  more  than  ever  I'll  deserve." 

"  Don't  be  downcast.  Leave  afterwards  to  me.  I 
think  better  of  you  for  hearing  you  talk  like  this. 
You  tried  to  brace  me  against  the  death  of  my  son ; 
now  I'll  brace  you  against  your  own  death.  You 
don't  fear  the  thing,  and  that's  to  the  good.  But, 
like  all  busy  men,  it  finds  you  with  a  lot  of  threads 
tangled,  I  suppose.  That's  the  fate  of  every  one  who 
tries  to  do  other  people's  work  besides  his  own,  and 
takes  off  the  shoulders  of  others  what  properly  belongs 
there.  They'll  have  to  look  to  their  own  affairs  all 
round  when  you  go." 

Nathan's  answer  was  a  groan,  and  with  the  return 
of  the  nurse,  Humphrey  went  away. 

From  that  hour  the  final  phases  of  the  illness  began  ; 
suffering  dimmed  the  patient's  mind,  and  turned  his 
thoughts  away  from  everything  but  his  own  physical 
struggle  between  the  intervals  of  sleep.  His  torments 
increased  ;  his  consciousness,  flinging  over  all  else,  was 
reduced  to  its  last  earthly  interest.  He  kept  his  eyes 
and  his  attention  ceaselessly  fixed  upon  one  thing  so 
long  as  his  mind  continued  under  his  control. 

Not  grief  at  the  past ;  not  concern  at  the  future ; 
not  the  face  of  Priscilla,  and  not  the  touch  of  her  hand 
absorbed  his  intelligence  now;  but  the  sight  of  a  small 
bottle  that  held  the  anodyne  to  his  misery.  That  he 
steadfastly  regarded,  and  pointed  impatiently  to  the 
clock  upon  the  mantelpiece  when  the  blessed  hour  of 
administration  struck. 

The  medicine  was  guarded  jealously  by  Eliza  Gollop, 
and  once,  when  frenzied  at  the  man's  sufferings,  Pris- 
cilla had  sought  to  administer  a  dose,  the  other  woman 
came  between  and  sharply  rebuked  her. 

"  It's    death ! "    she    whispered    under    her    voice. 


320  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

"  D'you  want  to  murder  him  ?  He's  taking  just  what 
the  doctor  allows  —  the  utmost  limit." 

After  three  days  of  unutterable  grief,  Nathan's 
brother  became  aware  of  the  situation,  and  perceived 
that  the  end  tarried.  He  debated  on  this  long-drawn 
horror  for  a  night,  and  next  day  spoke  to  the  doctor. 

He  put  the  case  without  evasion  or  obscurity,  and 
the  professional  man  heard  him  in  patience  and  ex- 
plained at  once  his  deep  sympathy  and  his  utter  power- 
lessness  to  do  more. 

"He's  dying  —  you  grant  that?" 

"  Certainly,  he's  dying  —  the  quicker  the  better  now, 
poor  fellow.  The  glands  are  involved,  and  the  end 
must  come  tolerably  soon." 

"  How  long  ?  " 

"  Impossible  to  say.  A  few  days  probably.  He 
keeps  his  strength  wonderfully  well." 

"  But  it  would  be  better  if  he  didn't  ?  Wouldn't  it 
be  better  if  he  died  to-night  ?  " 

"  Much  —  for  all  our  sakes,"  admitted  the  physician. 

"  Can't  you  help  him  out  of  it,  then  ?  " 

"  Impossible." 

"  Why  ?     You'd  do  as  much  for  a  horse  or  dog." 

"  My  business  is  to  prolong  life,  not  hasten  death. 
The  profession  recognises  no  interference  of  that  sort." 

"  Who  knows  anything  about  it  ?  A  dying  man 
dies,  and  there's  an  end." 

"  I  cannot  listen  to  you,  Mr.  Baskerville.  We  must 
think  of  the  greatest  good  and  the  greatest  safety  to 
the  greatest  number.  The  law  is  very  definite  in  this 
matter,  and  I  have  my  profession  to  consider.  You 
look  at  an  individual  case ;  the  law  looks  at  the  larger 
question  of  what  is  convenient  for  a  State.  Your 
brother  is  having  medicinal  doses  of  morphia  as  often 
as  it  is  possible  to  give  them  to  him  without  danger  to 
life." 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  321 

"  In  fact,  Nature  must  kill  him  her  own  hard 
way." 

"  Much  is  being  done  to  lessen  his  pain." 

"  But  a  double  dose  of  your  physic  would " 

"  End  his  life." 

"How?" 

"  He  would  become  unconscious  and  in  three,  or 
possibly  four,  hours  he  would  die." 

"  You'd  call  that  murder  ?  " 

"  That  is  the  only  name  for  it  as  the  law  stands." 

"  You  won't  do  that  ?  " 

"  No,  Mr.  Baskerville.  I  wish  I  could  help  him. 
But,  in  a  word,  I  have  no  power  to  do  so." 

"  Is  it  because  you  think  'twould  be  a  wrong  thing, 
or  because  you  know  'tis  unlawful  ? "  asked  the  elder. 
"  You  might  say  'twas  impertinent  to  ask  it,  as  it 
touches  religion;  but  I'm  ignorant  and  old,  and  want 
to  know  how  it  looks  to  the  conscience  of  a  learned 
man  like  you  —  you,  that  have  been  educated  in  all 
manner  of  deep  subjects  and  the  secrets  of  life." 

The  doctor  reflected.  He  was  experienced  and  effi- 
cient ;  but  like  many  other  professional  men,  he  had 
refused  his  reason  any  entrance  into  the  arcanum  of  his 
religious  opinions.  These  were  of  the  customary  nebu- 
lous character,  based  on  tradition,  on  convention,  on 
the  necessity  for  pleasing  all  in  a  general  practice,  on 
the  murmur  of  a  mother's  voice  in  his  childhood. 

"  I  am  a  Christian,"  he  said.  "  And  I  think  it  wrong 
to  lessen  by  one  moment  the  appointed  life  of  any 
man." 

"  But  not  wrong  to  lengthen  it  ?  " 

"  That  we  cannot  do." 

"  Then  surely  you  cannot  shorten  it,  either  ?  Tell 
me  this,  sir  :  why  would  you  poison  a  dog  that's  dying, 
so  that  its  misery  may  be  ended  ?  " 

"  I  will  not  argue  about  it.     The  cases  are  not  par- 


322  THE    THREE    BROTHERS    ' 

allel.  Common  humanity  would,  of  course,  put  a  period 
to  the  agony  of  any  unconscious  beast." 

"  But  wouldn't  free  an  immortal  soul  from  its  per- 
ishing dirt  ?  " 

"  No.  I  am  diminishing  his  pain  enormously.  I 
can  do  no  more.  Remember,  Mr.  Baskerville,  that 
our  Lord  and  Master  healed  the  sick  and  restored  the 
dead  to  life.  He  never  shortened  any  man's  days  ; 
He  prolonged  them." 

"I'm  answered,"  replied  the  elder.  "Your  con- 
science is  —  where  it  should  be :  on  the  side  of  the 
law.     I'm  answered ;  but  I'm  not  convinced." 

They  parted,  and  Humphrey  found  the  other's 
argument  not  strong  enough  to  satisfy  him.  He 
wrestled  with  the  problem  for  some  time  and  ere 
long  his  impression  grew  into  a  conviction,  his  con- 
viction ripened  to  a  resolve. 

In  the  afternoon  of  that  day  he  returned  to  *The 
White  Thorn'  and  found  Mrs.  Lintern  with  his 
brother. 

Eliza  had  gone  out  for  a  while.  Nathan  appeared 
to  be  half  unconscious,  but  his  mind  clearly  pursued 
some  private  train  of  thought. 

Priscilla  rose  from  her  chair  beside  the  bed  and 
shook  hands  with  Humphrey.  Nathan  spoke,  but 
not  to  them. 

"  A  mighty  man  of  valour.  His  burning  words 
melted  the  wax  in  a  man's  ears,  I  warn  you.  .  .  . 
Melted  the  wax  in  a  man's  ears.  .  .  .  Melted  the 
wax.  .  .  .  Oh,  Christ,  help  me !  Isn't  it  time  for 
the  medicine  yet  ?  " 

He  stared  at  the  bottle.  It  was  placed  on  a  bracket 
in  his  sight. 

"  What  did  the  doctor  say  to-day  ?  "  asked  Hum- 
phrey. 

"  Said    it  was  wonderful  —  the  strength.      There's 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  323 

nothing  to  stop  him  living  three  or  four  days 
yet. 

"  D'you  want  him  to  ?  " 

"My  God,  no!  I'd — I'd  do  all  a  woman  could 
do  to  end  it." 

Humphrey  regarded  her  searchingly. 

"  Will  he  come  to  his  consciousness  again  ? " 

"  I  asked  the  doctor  the  same  question.  He  said 
he  might,  but  it  was  doubtful." 

The  sick  man  groaned.  Agony  had  long  stamped 
its  impress  on  his  face. 

"  When  is  he  to  have  the  medicine  ?  " 

"  When  Miss  Gollop  comes  back,"  she  said. 
"  There's  an  hour  yet.  The  Lord  knows  what  an 
hour  is  to  me,  watching.     What  must  it  be  to  him  ?  " 

"Why,  it  may  be  a  lifetime  to  him  —  a  whole  life- 
time of  torment  yet  before  he's  gone,"  admitted 
Humphrey. 

"  I  pray  to  God  day  and  night  to  take  him.  If  I 
could  only  bear  it  for  him  !  " 

Mr.  Baskerville  knelt  beside  his  brother,  spoke 
loudly,  squeezed  the  sufferer's  hand  and  tried  to  rouse 
him. 

"My  physic,  Eliza,  for  your  humanity,  Eliza —  the 
clock's  struck —  I  heard  it — I  swear  —  oh,  my  merci- 
ful Maker,  why  can't  I  have  it?  " 

He  writhed  in  slow  suffocation. 

"  I'll  give  him  his  medicine,"  said  Humphrey. 
"  This  shan't  go  on." 

"  She'll  make  trouble  if  you  do." 

"  I  hope  not,  and  it's  no  great  matter  if  she  does." 

He  crossed  the  room,  examined  the  bottle,  took  it 
to  the  light  and  poured  out  rather  more  than  a  double 
dose.  He  crossed  the  room  with  it,  heaved  a  long 
breath,  steadied  himself  and  then  put  his  arm  round 
his  brother  and  lifted  him. 


324  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

"  Here  you  are,  Nat.  You'll  sleep  awhile  after 
this.     'Twill  soon  ease  you." 

Nathan  Baskerville  seized  the  glass  like  one  perish- 
ing of  thirst,  and  drank  eagerly. 

He  continued  to  talk  a  little  afterwards,  but  was 
swiftly  easier.  Presently  the  drug  silenced  him  and 
he  lay  still. 

Humphrey  looked  at  his  watch. 

"  I  can  tell  you,"  he  said.  "  Because  you'll  under- 
stand. His  troubles  are  ended  for  ever  now.  He 
won't  have  another  pang.  I've  taken  it  upon  myself. 
You're  a  wise  and  patient  woman.  You've  got  other 
secrets.      Better  keep  this  with  the  rest." 

He  was  excited.  His  forehead  grew  wet  and  he 
mopped  it  with  the  sheet  of  the  bed. 

Priscilla  did  not  reply ;  but  she  went  on  her  knees 
beside  Nathan  and  listened. 

"  At  six  o'clock,  or  maybe  a  bit  earlier,  he'll  stop. 
Till  then  he'll  sleep  in  peace.  When  does  Eliza 
Gollop  come  back  ^  " 

"After  four." 

"  I'll  wait  then." 

"  You're  a  brave  man.  'Tisn't  many  would  do  so 
much  as  that,  even  for  a  brother." 

"  Do  as  you  would  be  done  by  covers  it.  'Tis  a 
disgrace  to  the  living  that  dying  men  should  suffer 
worse  terror  and  pain  than  dying  beasts.  Terror  they 
must,  perhaps,  since  they  can  think;  but' pain  —  no 
need  for  that." 

"  I'll  bless  you  for  this  to  my  own  last  day,"  she 
said.  She  rose  then  and  fetched  a  chair.  She  held 
Nathan's  hand.  He  was  insensible  and  breathing 
faintly  but  easily. 

Suddenly  Mrs.  Lintern  got  up  and  hastened  across 
the  room  to  the  medicine  bottle. 

"  We  must  think  of  that,"  she  said. 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  325 

"  Leave  it.      He's  had  enough." 

"  He's  had  too  much,"  she  answered.  "  There's  the 
danger.  When  that  woman  comes  back  she'll  know 
to  half  a  drop  what's  gone.  She  guessed  the  wish  in 
me  to  do  this  very  thing  two  days  ago.  She  read  it 
in  my  eyes,  I  believe.  And  God  knows  the  will  was 
in  my  heart ;  but  I  hadn't  the  courage." 

"  Let  her  find  out." 

"No  —  not  her.  Some — perhaps  many — wouldn't 
matter  ;  but  not  her." 

Priscilla  took  the  bottle,  lifted  it  and  let  it  fall  upon 
the  floor.     It  broke,  and  the  medicine  was  spilled. 

"  There,"  she  said.  "  That  will  answer  the  pur- 
pose. You  had  given  him  his  dose  and,  putting  the 
bottle  back,  it  broke.  I'll  send  Heathman  off  quick 
to  Yelverton  for  another  bottle,  so  it  shall  be  here 
before  the  next  dose  is  due.  Then  you  won't  be 
suspected." 

He  listened,  and  perceived  how  easily  came  the 
devious  thought  to  her  swift  mind.  It  did  not 
astonish  him  that  she  was  skilled  in  the  art  to  deceive. 

"I've  taken  the  chances  —  all  of  them,"  he  said. 
"I've  thought  long  about  this.  I  needn't  have  told 
you  to  keep  the  secret,  for  it  can't  be  kept.  And  I 
don't  want  it  to  be  kept  really.  You  can't  hide  it 
from  the  nurse.  She'll  know  by  the  peace  of  poor 
Nat  here  how  it  is." 

Priscilla  looked  again.  Profound  calm  brooded 
over  the  busy  man  of  Shaugh  Prior.  He  was  sinking 
out  of  life  without  one  tremor. 

"  There's  an  awful  side  to  it,"  the  woman  mur- 
mured. 

"  There  was,"  he  said.  "  The  awfulness  was  to  see 
Nature  strangling  him  by  inches.  There's  nought 
awful  now,  but  the  awfulness  of  all  death.  'Tis  meant 
to  be  an  awful  thing  to  the  living  —  not  to  the  dying." 


326  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

For  half  an  hour  they  sat  silent.  Then  Priscilla 
lifted  the  clothes  and  put  her  hand  to  Nathan's  feet. 

"  He's  cold,"  she  said. 

"  Cold  or  heat  are  all  one  to  him  now." 

A  little  later  Eliza  Gollop  returned.  She  came  at 
the  exact  hour  for  administration  of  the  medicine,  and 
she  sought  the  bottle  before  she  took  off  her  bonnet 
and  cloak. 

"Where  —  why ?"  she  cried  out. 

"  I  gave  him  his  physic  a  bit  ago,"  said  Mr.  Basker- 
ville.     "  The  bottle  is  broke." 

The  nurse  hurried  to  her  patient  and  examined  him 
closely.     She  perceived  the  change. 

'^  He's  dying  !  "  she  said. 

"  So  he  was  when  you  went  away." 

"But " 

She  broke  off  and  panted  into  anger. 

"You've  —  you've  —  this  is  murder — I  won't  stop 
in  the  house.      I  —  oh,  you  wicked  woman  !  " 

She  turned  upon  Mrs.  Lintern  and  poured  out  a 
torrent  of  invective. 

Then  Humphrey  took  her  by  the  shoulders  and 
put  her  out  of  the  room. 

"  You  can  go,"  he  said.  "  You'll  not  be  wanted  any 
more." 

She  hastened  from  the  inn  and  then  went  off  to  the 
vicarage  as  fast  as  her  legs  would  carry  her. 

Another  half-hour  passed  and  none  came  to  them. 
From  time  to  time  Priscilla  put  her  ear  to  Nathan's 
face. 

"  I  don't  think  he's  breathing  any  more,"  she  said. 

Then  came  a  noise  and  a  grumbling  of  men's  voices 
below.  A  violent  strife  of  words  clashed  in  the  bar. 
The  day  had  waned  and  it  was  growing  dark. 

"  They'll  be  against  you,  I'm  fearing,"  said  Priscilla. 
"  'Tis  of  no  account.     They  always  are." 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  327 

p 
Presently  Dennis  Masterman  entered  the  room. 

"  I  hear  poor  Baskerville  is  going  and  they  can't  find 
his  minister.     Can  I  be  of  any  comfort  to  him  ?  " 

He  made  no  allusion  to  the  things  that  he  had  heard, 
and  Humphrey  did  not  immediately  answer  him.  He 
was  leaning  over  his  brother.  Then  he  took  out  his 
watch,  opened  it,  and  put  the  polished  inner  case  to 
Nathan's  lips. 

"  Light  a  candle  and  bring  it  here,"  he  said  to 
Priscilla. 

She  obeyed,  and  he  examined  the  polished  metal. 

"No  stain  —  he's  dead,  I  suppose." 

Then  Mr.  Baskerville  turned  to  the  clergyman. 

"  If  you  can  pray,  I'll  be  glad  for  you  to  do  it." 

Dennis  immediately  knelt  down  ;  the  old  man  also 
went  slowly  on  his  knees  and  the  weeping  woman  did 
the  same. 

"  O  Almighty  God,  Who  has  been  pleased  to  take 
our  brother  from  his  sufferings  and  liberate  an  im- 
mortal soul  from  mortal  clay,  be  Thou  beside  him 
now,  that  he  may  pass  over  the  dark  river  with  his 
hand  in  his  Saviour's,  and  enter  as  a  good  and  faithful 
servant  into  the  joy  of  his  Lord.  And  support  the 
sorrows  of  those  who  —  who  cared  for  him  on  earth, 
and  help  them  and  all  men  to  profit  by  the  lesson  of 
his  charity  and  lovingkindness  and  ready  ear  for  the 
trouble  of  his  fellow-creatures.  Let  us  walk  in  the 
way  that  he  walked,  and  pass  in  peace  at  the  end  as  he 
has  passed.  And  this  we  beg  for  the  sake  of  our 
Mediator  and  Comforter,  our  Blessed  Lord  and  Re- 
deemer, Thy  Son,  Jesus  Christ." 

"  Amen,"  said  Mr.  Baskerville,  "  and  thank  you." 

He  rose,  cast  one  glance  at  the  grief-stricken  woman 
by  the  bed,  then  looked  upon  his  brother  and  then 
prepared  to  depart. 

But  he  returned  for  a  moment. 


328  THE    THREE    BROTHERS 

"  Will  you  do  the  rest  ?  "  he  asked  of  Mrs.  Lintern. 
"  Or  shall  I  tell  'em  to  send  ?  " 

"  No,  I  daren't.  Tell  him  to  send.  I  must  go 
home,"  she  answered. 

A  loud  noise  persisted  in  the  bar,  but  he  did  not 
enter  it.  He  took  his  hat  and  an  old  umbrella  from 
the  corner  of  the  sick-room,  then  descended  and  went 
out  into  the  night. 


CHAPTER   XIII 

THE  doctor  who  attended  Nathan  Baskerville  in 
his  last  illness  heard  from  Eliza  Gollop  what 
had  been  done,  and  he  took  a  serious  view  of 
it.  From  the  standpoint  of  his  opinions  Humphrey 
Baskerville  had  struck  a  blow  at  society  and  the  es- 
tablished order. 

The  physician  was  sober-minded  and  earnest.  He 
communicated  with  the  coroner  of  the  district,  stated 
the  case  impartially  and  left  the  official  to  act  as  seemed 
proper  to  him.  But  the  coroner  was  also  a  medical 
man,  and  he  reduced  the  problem  to  its  simplest 
possible  dimensions. 

Death  had  been  hastened  by  an  uncertain  measure 
of  time  for  one  who  was  enduring  extreme  agony.  He 
judged  the  case  on  its  own  merits,  after  a  rare  judicial 
faculty  peculiar  to  himself.  He  made  no  effort  to 
consider  its  general  bearing  and  tendency  ;  he  did  not 
enlarge  his  survey  to  the  principles  involved.  His 
sympathy  was  entirely  on  the  side  of  Humphrey  Bas- 
kerville ;  he  applauded  the  old  man  in  his  heart  and  de- 
clared no  inquest  necessary.      None  was  therefore  held. 

Those  interested  in  Nathan's  end  took  opposite  views, 
and  as  for  Humphrey  himself,  he  was  hidden  for  a 
time  from  the  people  and  did  not  appear  again  in  pub- 
lic until  his  brother's  funeral.  He  failed,  therefore,  to 
learn  the  public  opinion. 

Jack  Head  and  those  who  thought  as  he  did,  up- 
held the  action ;  but  not  a  few  shared  the  faith  of 
Thomas  Gollop,  openly  expressed  at  the  bar  of  '  The 
White  Thorn '  while  still  the  dead  master  lay  above. 

For  two  days  Nathan  kept  a  sort  of  humble  state, 

329 


330  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

and  the  folk  from  far  and  near  enjoyed  the  spectacle 
of  his  corpse.      Many  tramped  ten  miles  to  see  him. 

The  humblest  people  appeared ;  the  most  unex- 
pected persons  acknowledged  debts  of  unrecorded 
kindness.  He  lay  in  his  coffin  with  a  face  placid  and 
small  behind  the  bush  of  his  silver  beard.  Women 
wept  at  the  sight  and  took  a  morbid  joy  in  touching 
his  folded  hands. 

Then  he  was  hidden  for  ever  and  carried  with  diffi- 
culty down  the  narrow  and  winding  stair  of  the  inn. 

Thomas  GoUop  dug  the  grave  and  Joe  Voysey  helped 
him.  No  younger  men  assisted  them.  They  felt  a 
sort  of  sentiment  in  the  matter. 

"  'Tis  the  last  pit  I  shall  open,  Joe,"  said  Mr.  Gollop ; 
"and  for  my  part,  if  I  had  my  way,  I  shouldn't  make 
it  very  deep.  In  these  cases  the  law,  though  slow,  is 
sure,  and  it  may  come  about  that  he'll  have  to  be 
digged  up  again  inside  a  month  to  prove  murder  against 
that  dark,  awful  man  to  Hawk  House." 

"'Tis  the  point  of  view.  I  don't  look  at  it  quite  the 
same.  For  my  part,  in  my  business,  I  see  a  lot  of 
death — not  men  but  plants.  And  when  a  bush  or 
what  not  be  going  home,  I  don't  stand  in  the  way. 
'  No  good  tinkering,'  I  often  says  to  Miss  Masterman, 
for  the  silly  woman  seems  to  think  a  gardener  can 
stand  between  a  plant  and  death.  'The  herb  be  going 
home,'  I  says,  'and  us  can't  stay  the  appointed  time.' 
'  But  I  don't  want  it  to  go  home  —  it  mustn't  go  home,' 
she'll  ansv/er  me  —  like  a  silly  child  talking.  However, 
when  her  back  be  turned,  I  do  my  duty.  The  bonfire's 
the  place.  Jack  Head  looked  over  the  kitchen-garden 
wall  a  bit  agone  and  seed  me  firing  up;  and  he  said, 
*Ah,  Joe,  your  bonfire's  like  charity:  it  covers  a  mul- 
titude of  sins!'     A  biting  tongue  that  man  hath!" 

Joe  chuckled  at  the  recollection,  but  Gollop  was  not 
amused. 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  331 

"A  plant  and  a  man  are  very  different,"  he  answered. 
"Scripture  tells  us  that  the  fire  is  the  place  for  the 
withered  branch,  but  where  there's  a  soul  working  out 
its  salvation  in  fear  and  trembling,  who  be  we  worms 
to  stand  up  and  say  'go'?" 

"It  might  be  the  Lord  put  it  in  Mr.  Baskerville's 
heart,"  argued  Voysey. 

"The  Lord  ban't  in  the  habit  of  putting  murder  in 
people's  hearts,  I  believe." 

"You  didn't  ought  to  use  the  word.  He  might 
have  you  up  if  he  come  to  hear  it." 

"I  wish  he  would;  I  only  wish  he  would,"  declared 
Thomas.  "Fearless  you'd  find  me,  with  Eliza's  evi- 
dence behind  me,  I  can  promise  you.  But  not  him: 
he  knows  too  well  for  that." 

They  stood  and  rested  where  Nathan's  grave  began 
to  yawn  beside  that  of  his  brother.  White  marble  shone 
out  above  Vivian,  and  not  only  his  farewell  verse,  but 
also  a  palestric  trophy  representing  the  old  wrestler's 
championship  belt,  was  carved  there. 

"'Twill  make  history  in  more  ways  than  one — this 
death  will,"  foretold  Thomas. 

"What  do  you  think  .^  Parson's  going  to  help  with 
the  funeral!" 

"Why  not?" 

" '  Why  not  ? '  You  ask  that !  Nat  was  a  Dissenter 
and  his  dissenting  minister  be  going  to  bury  him;  but 
Masterman  says,  seeing  how  highly  thought  upon  he 
was  by  all  parties,  that  it  becomes  all  parties  to  be  at 
his  grave.  And  he's  going  to  be  there ;  and  if  the 
bishop  comed  to  learn  of  it,  there'd  be  a  flare-up  that 
might  shake  England  in  my  opinion." 

"If  his  reverence  says  he'll  be  there,  there  he'll 
be." 

"I  don't  doubt  that.  My  belief  is  that  all's  well 
knowed  at  headquarters,  and  they're  giving  the  man 


332  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

rope  enough  to  hang  hisself  with.  This  may  be  the 
last  straw." 

Comforted  by  the  reflection,  Thomas  resumed  his 
labours. 

"He'll  lie  cheek  by  jowl  with  his  brother,"  he  said. 
"Go  easy  in  that  corner,  Joe;  us'll  be  getting  to  the 
shoulder  of  Vivian's  bricks  afore  long." 

The  circumstance  of  Nathan's  passing  had  been  re- 
ceived with  very  real  grief  by  most  of  his  relations. 
Even  distant  kindred  mourned  and  not  a  few  of  the 
race,  who  were  strangers  to  the  Baskervilles  of  Shaugh 
Prior,  appeared  at  the  funeral.  Mrs.  Baskerville  of  Cad- 
worthy  felt  helpless  and  faced  almost  with  a  second  widow- 
hood, for  all  her  financial  affairs  had  rested  in  Nathan's 
willing  hand  since  her  husband  died.  Her  daughters 
also  mourned  in  very  genuine  fashion.  Their  uncle  had 
been  kind,  helpful,  and  generous  to  them.  Only  Mr. 
Bassett  did  not  greatly  suffer,  for  now  he  knew  that  his 
wife  must  inherit  her  own  and  hoped,  indeed,  for  some 
addition  under  the  will  of  the  departed  innkeeper. 

As  for  Rupert  Baskerville,  he  endured  very  real 
grief;  but  Ned  was  too  concerned  with  the  bearing  of 
this  event  on  his  own  affairs  to  feel  it  deeply.  He 
would  now  be  free  to  administer  his  capital  as  he 
pleased.  Only  his  mother  stood  between.  One 
black  cloud,  however,  thrust  itself  upon  his  immediate 
future.  His  wedding  was  postponed.  Cora  insisted 
upon  it,  and  her  mother  supported  her.  Their  motives 
were  widely  different,  but  they  arrived  at  the  same 
conclusion. 

Priscilla  hid  her  grief  from  all  eyes  but  her  son's ; 
while  he,  less  skilled,  surprised  the  folk  by  his  evident 
sorrow.  They  failed  to  understand  it,  and  acute  people 
laughed,  judged  it  to  be  simulation,  and  despised  the 
man  for  his  display.     Cora  and  Phyllis  neither  pre- 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  333 

tended  nor  felt  grief.  The  elder  had  talked  her  sister 
round,  and  they  arrived  at  a  perfectly  rational  conclu- 
sion. It  was  averse  from  their  father.  It  led  them  to 
regard  him  as  a  selfish  and  a  cruel  man.  They  con- 
sidered also  that  he  had  deceived  himself,  and  wickedly 
wronged  the  unborn  that  he  might  perform  a  far- 
fetched obligation  to  the  dead. 

Cora  put  the  case  very  clearly. 

"  Mother  won't  see  it,  and  'tis  vain  to  try  to  make 
her  ;  and  Heathman  won't  see  it,  because  he's  a  fool, 
and  only  just  misses  being  weak  in  his  head.  But  I 
see  it  clear  enough,  and  the  ugly  truth  of  the  man  is 
that  for  five  thousand  pounds  he  was  content  to  let  his 
children  come  into  the  world  bastards.  That's  what 
he  did,  and  I'm  not  going  to  pretend  I  care  for  him  or 
shall  ever  respect  his  memory." 

"  It'll  never  come  out,  however,"  said  Phyllis. 

"  I'm  sure  I  hope  it  won't  —  not  out  of  my  mouth, 
anyway.  But  still  it  is  so,  and  all  the  money  he  may 
have  left  behind  him  won't  make  me  feel  different." 

"  We  shall  be  rich,  I  hope,  anyway,"  speculated 
Phyllis. 

"  I  suppose  we  shall ;  and  that's  the  only  bright 
thing  about  it." 

"  'Twill  be  funny  not  walking  first  behind  the 
coffin,  and  not  sitting  in  the  mourners'  pew  after  for 
the  Sunday  sermon  ;  and  we  knowing  all  the  time  that's 
where  we  ought  to  be,"  said  the  younger;  but  Cora 
exploded  the  theory. 

"  Not  at  all.  We've  no  right  there  —  not  the 
right  of  the  most  distant  cousin  twenty  times  re- 
moved. Mother  was  his  mistress,  and  she  daren't  use 
the  word  '  husband '  even  to  us,  though  I've  seen  her 
mouth  itching  to  do  it.  'Tis  always  *your  dear 
father.'  She  can't  put  on  a  widow's  streamers,  though 
it's  in  her  heart  to.     She'll  have  to  balance  her  black 


334  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

pretty  cautious,  I  can  tell  you,  if  she  don't  want  the 
people  to  be  staring." 

"  Surely  it  must  all  come  out  if  he  leaves  his  money 
to  us. 

"  He'll  do  it  clever,"  said  Cora  bitterly.  "  With  all 
his  faults  he  was  clever  enough.  He  didn't  hide  this 
—  so  clever  as  a  lapwing  hides  her  nest  —  for  near 
thirty  years,  to  let  it  come  out  the  minute  he  was 
dead." 

"  If  I  was  engaged  to  be  married,  like  what  you  are, 
I  shouldn't  be  so  nervous,"  said  Phyllis. 

"  As  to  that,  'twas  as  well  for  me  that  it  fell  out 
now  and  not  later.  It  may  mean  a  bigger  establish- 
ment after  all ;  and  even  a  bigger  wedding,  if  I  put  it 
off  till  spring." 

"  My  word,  what'll  Ned  say  ?  " 

But  Ned's  view  did  not  enter  as  a  serious  factor  into 
Cora's. 

"  He's  all  right,"  she  answered.  "  If  I'm  content, 
so's  he." 

Storm  heralded  the  funeral  day,  and  dawn  blinked 
red-eyed  from  much  weeping.  It  was  hoped  that 
further  torrents  might  hold  off  until  after  the  ceremony, 
and  happily  they  did  so,  though  intermittent  rain  fell 
and  the  wind  stormed  roughly  out  of  a  sad-coloured 
south. 

"  *  Blessed  be  the  carpse  that  the  rain  rains  on,'  " 
said  Joe  Voysey  in  muffled  accents  to  Jack  Head. 

They  were  walking  under  the  coffin,  and  bore  it, 
with  the  assistance  of  six  other    men,  to    the    grave. 

"  Ban't  so  blessed  for  them  that's  alive,  however," 
answered  Jack.  "  The  mourners  will  be  lashed  out  of 
their  skins  by  the  look  of  it.  Death's  never  so  busy 
as  at  a  funeral." 

A    purple  pall    spread    over    the    coffin,  and  while 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  335 

humble  men  carried  the  weight  of  Nathan  Baskerville's 
dust,  others  of  greater  repute  stood  at  the  corners 
of  the  coverlet.  They  included  Mr.  Luscombe  of 
Trowlesworthy,  Timothy  Waite  of  Coldstone  Farm, 
Heathman  Lintern  as  representing  Undershaugh,  one 
Mr.  Popham  from  Cornwood,  Nathan's  lawyer,  and 
others. 

Humphrey  Baskerville  walked  beside  the  coffin  as 
chief  mourner,  and  Hester  Baskerville,  on  her  son 
Ned's  arm,  followed  him  with  the  rest  of  the  family, 
save  Nathan's  namesake,  who  was  at  sea.  Other  re- 
lations came  after  them,  with  Nicholas  Bassett,  Polly's 
husband,  and  Milly,  the  wife  of  Rupert.  Cora  and 
her  mother  and  her  sister  were  next  in  the  long  pro- 
cession, and  half  a  dozen  private  carriages  stood 
together  beneath  the  churchyard  wall  to  support  a  con- 
vention and  indicate  the  respect  that  their  owners  en- 
tertained towards  the  dead. 

Flowers  covered  the  pall  and  stood  piled  beside  the 
grave.  Crosses,  wreaths,  and  various  trophies  were 
here,  together  with  many  little  humble  bunches  from 
cottage  gardens,  and  not  a  few  mere  gleanings  from  the 
hedgerow  of  scarlet  and  crimson  berries,  or  the  last 
autumnal  splendour  of  beech  and  briar.  The  air  was 
heavy  with  emotion,  and  many  wept.  A  congrega- 
tional minister  conducted  the  service,  and  the  vicar 
helped  him.  After  the  body  had  sunk  to  earth  and 
the  rite  was  nearly  accomplished,  the  chief  mourners 
took  their  last  look  upon  the  lid,  according  to  custom. 
Leaves  whirled  in  the  air,  and  the  branches  overhead 
made  a  mighty  sigh  and  swough  in  the  brief  silence. 
Underfoot  was  trampled  mire  and  reeking  grass.  A 
pushing  child  slipped  in  the  clay  at  the  grave-mouth, 
and  nearly  fell  in.  She  was  dragged  back  by  Thomas 
GoUop  and  despatched  weeping  to  the  rear. 

Humphrey  Baskerville  came  almost  the  last  to  look 


536  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

into  the  grave,  and  as  others  had  fallen  away  from  it 
when  he  did  so,  he  assumed  a  momentary  prominence. 
His  small,  bent,  and  sombre  shape  appeared  alone  at 
the  edge  of  the  cleft-in  earth,  with  flowers  piled  about 
his  knees.  Then  suddenly,  ominously,  cutting  its  way 
through  the  full  diapason  of  the  storm-sounds  on  trees 
and  tower,  there  crept  a  different  utterance.  The  wind 
shouted  deep  and  loud ;  but  this  noise  was  thin  and 
harsh  —  a  hissing,  a  sharp,  shrill  sibilation  that  gained 
volume  presently  and  spread  epidemic  into  the  crowded 
ranks  of  the  collected  men.  They  were  mostly  the 
young  who  permitted  themselves  this  attack,  but  not 
a  few  of  their  elders  joined  with  them.  The  sounds 
deepened  ;  a  groan  or  two  threaded  the  hisses.  Then 
Baskerville,  from  his  abstraction,  awakened  to  the 
terrific  fact  that  here,  beside  his  brother's  grave,  in  the 
eyes  of  all  men,  a  demonstration  had  broken  out 
against  him.  Hands  were  pointed,  even  fists  were 
shaken. 

He  could  not  immediately  understand  ;  he  looked 
helplessly  into  certain  angry  faces,  and  then  shrank 
back  from  the  grave  to  where  his  relations  stood. 

"  What's  the  meaning  of  this  ?  "  he  asked  Ned  ; 
but  the  young  man  turned  and  pretended  not  to  hear 
him.  Then  the  truth  came  hurtling  like  a  missile. 
Voices  shouted  at  him  the  words  *  murderer'  and 
*  brother-killer.' 

The  fire  that  lights  a  mob  into  one  blaze  was  afoot, 
and  leaping  from  heart  to  head.  Many  for  a  jest 
bellowed  these  insults  at  him,  and  thought  it  good  for 
once  to  bate  so  unpopular  a  creature.  A  few  in  honest 
and  righteous  rage  cried  out  their  wrath.  Of  such 
were  those  who  stoned  the  martyrs  to  serve  their  jeal- 
ous gods.  More  stones  than  one  now  actually  did  fly, 
and  Humphrey  was  struck  upon  the  arm.  A  counter 
display  of  feeling  ran  like  a  wave  against  the  enemies 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  337 

of  the  man,  and  induced  a  shock  in  the  crowd. 
Masterman  and  others  laboured  to  still  the  gathering 
storm ;  women's  voices  clacked  against  the  gruffer 
noise  of  the  men.  Voysey,  with  admirable  presence 
of  mind,  drew  some  boards  over  the  dead  in  his  grave, 
that  no  quick  spirit  might  suddenly  fall  upon  him. 

The  disturbance  ended  as  swiftly  as  it  had  begun, 
for  Humphrey  Baskerville  made  a  bolt,  dashed  through 
the  crowd,  descended  the  churchyard  steps,  and 
reached  the  street.  A  dozen  hastened  to  follow,  but 
Jack  Head,  Lintern,  Waite,  Mr.  Masterman,  and  Ben 
North,  the  policeman,  resisted  the  rioters,  and  kept 
them  within  the  churchyard  walls  as  far  as  possible. 
Jack  hit  so  hard  that  soon  he  was  involved  in  a  battle 
against  odds  on  his  own  account. 

Meantime,  with  a  clod  or  two  whizzing  past  his  head, 
Humphrey  reached  the  street  corner  and  hastened  round 
it.  Here  was  silence  and  peace.  He  stopped,  and  his 
brain  grew  dizzy.  Such  exertion  he  had  not  made  for 
many  years.  He  heard  the  noise  of  men  and  hastened 
on.  A  chaos  of  ideas  choked  his  mind  and  dammed 
all  play  of  coherent  thought.  He  had  heard  a  rumour 
that  the  thing  he  had  done  for  his  brother  was  regarded 
differently  by  different  men,  but  he  knew  not  that  so 
many  were  incensed  and  enraged.  The  shock  of  the 
discovery  disarmed  him  now  and  left  him  frantic.  He 
looked  forward,  and  believed  that  his  last  hope  of  rec- 
onciliation with  humanity  was  dead.  He  envied  the 
eternal  peace  of  his  brother  as  he  struggled  on  against 
the  hill  homeward. 

Into  the  black  and  water-logged  heart  of  Shaugh  Moor 
he  climbed  presently,  and  from  exhaustion  and  faintness 
fell  there.  He  stopped  upon  the  ground  for  a  few  mo- 
ments ;  then  lifted  himself  to  his  hands  and  knees  ;  then 
sat  down  upon  a  stone  and  stared  down  into  the  theatre 
of  this  tragedy. 


338  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

Overhead  a  sky  as  wild  as  his  soul  made  huge  and 
threatening  preparations  for  the  delayed  tempest. 
Through  the  tangled  skirts  of  the  darkness  westerly 
there  strove  and  spread  great  passages  of  dazzling  sil- 
ver all  tattered  and  torn  and  shredded  out  of  the  black 
and  weltering  clouds.  For  a  moment  in  the  midst  of 
this  radiance  there  opened  a  farewell  weather-gleam, 
where  the  azure  firmament  was  seen  only  to  vanish 
instantly.  Then  the  gloom  gathered,  and  huddled  up 
in  ridges  of  purple  and  of  lead.  Aloft,  from  the  skirt 
of  the  main  cumulus,  where  it  swept  under  the  zenith, 
there  hung,  light  as  a  veil,  yet  darker  than  the  sky  be- 
hind them,  long,  writhing  tentacles,  that  twisted  down 
and  curled  in  sinister  suspension,  that  waved  and  twined, 
and  felt  hither  and  thither  horribly,  like  some  aerial 
hydra  seeking  prey. 

For  a  time  these  curtains  of  the  rain  swayed  clear  of 
earth  ;  but  their  progress  swept  them  against  it,  and 
they  burst  their  vials  upon  the  bosom  of  the  Moor. 
The  storm  shrieked,  exploded,  emptied  itself  with  howl- 
ing rage  out  of  the  sudden  darkness.  Then  the  fury 
of  these  tenebrous  moments  passed  ;  the  hurricane  sped 
onward,  and  the  dim  wet  ray  that  followed  struck  down 
upon  a  heath  whitened  with  ice  for  miles.  A  bitterness 
of  cold  and  an  ice-blink  of  unfamiliar  radiance  were 
thrown  upwards  from  the  crust  of  the  hail ;  but  soon 
it  melted,  and  the  waste,  now  running  with  a  million 
rivulets,  grew  dark  again. 

The  spectacle  must  have  been  impressive  to  any 
peaceful  mind,  but  Baskerville  saw  nothing  hyperbolic 
in  the  rage  of  wind  and  water.  The  storm  cited  by 
Nature  was  not  more  tremendous  than  that  tornado 
now  sweeping  through  his  own  soul. 

END    OF   SECOND    BOOK 


Book  III 


BOOK    III 
CHAPTER   I 

HUMPHREY  BASKERVILLE  continued  to 
stalk  the  stage  of  life  like  a  lonely  ghost,  and 
still  obscured  from  all  men  and  women  the 
secrets  of  his  nature,  and  the  fierce  interest  of  his 
heart  in  matters  human.  The  things  that  he  most 
wished  to  display  he  deliberately  concealed,  as  a  shy 
child  who  makes  a  toy,  and  longs  to  show  it,  but  dares 
not,  yet  grows  warm  to  the  roots  of  his  being  if  the 
treasure  is  found  and  applauded.  Behind  doubts,  sus- 
picions and  jealousies  he  hid  himself;  his  tongue  was 
rough ;  his  utterances  at  the  outrage  put  upon  him 
before  the  people  by  his  brother's  grave  were  bitter 
and  even  coarse.  Nor  did  it  abate  his  concern  to 
know  that  the  hostile  explosion  was  as  much  simulated 
as  genuine,  as  much  mischievous  as  meant.  It  drove 
him  in  upon  himself;  it  poisoned  his  opinion  of 
human  wisdom ;  and  for  a  time  he  moved  through 
darkest  night. 

Yet  this  transcendent  gloom  preceded  a  dawn ;  the 
crisis  of  his  unquiet  days  approached ;  and,  from  the 
death  of  Nathan  onward,  life  changed  gradually  for  the 
man,  and  opened  into  a  way  that  until  now  had  been 
concealed  from  his  scrutiny. 

There  chanced  an  hour  when  Humphrey  Baskerville 
rode  upon  his  pony  under  the  high  ground  above 
Cornwood.  He  came  by  appointment  to  meet  his 
dead  brother's  lawyer,  and  accident  had  postponed  the 

341 


342  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

interview  for  some  weeks.  The  solicitor  desired  to  see 
him.  There  were  strange  rumours  in  the  air,  and  it 
was  declared  that  a  very  surprising  and  unexpected 
condition  of  things  had  appeared  upon  the  publican's 
passing. 

Humphrey  refused  to  hear  even  his  own  relations 
upon  the  matter,  for  he  held  Nathan's  estate  no  con- 
cern of  his ;  but  at  the  urgent  entreaties  of  Mr.  Pop- 
ham,  the  master  of  Hawk  House  now  rode  to  see  him. 
He  had,  however,  already  made  it  clear  that  he  was  to 
be  considered  in  no  way  responsible  for  his  brother's 
obligations,  and  felt  unprepared  to  offer  advice  or 
engage  himself  in  any  particular. 

He  passed  across  the  shoulder  of  Pen  Beacon, 
through  a  wild  world  of  dun-coloured  hills,  streaked 
with  flitting  radiance,  and  clouded  in  billowy  moisture 
driven  before  a  great  wind.  The  sky  was  lowering, 
and  a  gale  from  the  Atlantic  swept  with  tremendous 
power  along;  but  the  nature  of  the  scene  it  struck  was 
such  that  little  evidence  of  the  force  displayed  could 
appear  to  the  beholder.  Stone  and  steep  and  sodden 
waste  stared  blindly  at  the  pressure  and  flinched  not. 
It  remained  for  wandering  beast  or  man  to  bend  before 
it  and  reveal  its  might.  On  the  pelt  of  the  sheep  and 
cattle,  or  against  the  figure  of  a  wanderer,  its  bufi^et  was 
manifest ;  and,  in  the  sky,  the  fierce  breath  of  it  herded 
the  clouds  into  flocks,  that  sped  and  spread  and 
gathered  again  too  swiftly  for  the  telling.  They  broke 
in  billows  of  sudden  light ;  they  massed  into  darkness 
and  hid  the  earth  beneath  them  ;  then  again  they  parted, 
and,  like  a  ragged  flag  above  a  broken  army,  the  clean 
blue  unfurled. 

Over  this  majestic  desolation  suddenly  there  shot 
forth  a  great  company  of  rooks,  and  the  wind  drove 
them  before  it  —  whirling  and  wheeling  and  tumbling 
in  giddy  dives,  only  to  mount  again.     A  joyous  spirit 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  343 

clearly  dominated  the  feathered  people.  They  circled 
and  cried  aloud  in  merry  exultation  of  the  air.  They 
swooped  and  soared,  rushed  this  way  and  that  on  slant- 
ing pinions,  played  together  and  revelled  in  the  im- 
mense force  that  drove  them  like  projectiles  in  a  wild 
throng  before  it.  Even  to  these  aerial  things  such 
speed  was  strange.  They  seemed  to  comment  in  their 
language  upon  this  new  experience.  Then  the  instinct 
unfathomed  that  makes  vast  companies  of  living  crea- 
tures wheel  and  warp  together  in  mysterious  and  perfect 
unison,  inspired  them.  They  turned  simultaneously, 
ascended  and  set  their  course  against  the  wind.  But 
they  could  make  no  headway  now,  and,  in  a  cloud,  they 
were  blown  together,  discomforted,  beaten  to  leeward. 
Whereupon  they  descended  swiftly  to  the  level  of  the 
ground,  and,  flying  low,  plodded  together  back  whence 
they  had  come.  At  a  yard  or  two  above  earth's 
surface  they  steadily  flapped  along,  cheated  the  wind, 
and  for  a  few  moments  flashed  a  reflected  light  over 
the  Moor  with  their  innumerable  shining  black  bodies 
and  pinions  outspread.  At  a  hedge  they  rose  only  to 
dip  again,  and  here  Humphrey,  who  drew  up  to  watch 
them,  marked  how  they  worked  in  the  teeth  of  the 
gale,  and  was  near  enough  to  see  their  great  grey  bills, 
their  anxious,  glittering  eyes,  and  their  hurtling  feathers 
blown  awry  as  they  breasted  the  hedge,  fought  over, 
and  dipped  again. 

"  'Tis  the  same  as  life,"  he  reflected.  "  Go  aloft  and 
strive  for  high  opinions,  and  the  wind  of  doubt  blows 
you  before  it  like  a  leaf.  Up  there  you  can  travel  with 
the  storm,  not  against  it.  If  you  want  to  go  t'other 
way,  you've  got  to  feel  along  close  to  earth  seemingly 
—  to  earth  and  the  manners  of  earth  and  the  folk  of 
the  earth.  And  hard  work  at  that ;  but  better  than 
driving  along  all  alone." 

H?    derived   some   consolation   from    this   inchoate 


344  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

thought,  and  suspected  a  moral ;  but  the  simile  broke 
down.  His  mind  returned  to  Mr.  Popham  presently, 
and,  taking  leave  of  the  Moor,  he  descended  and  ar- 
rived at  the  lawyer's  house  upon  the  appointed  hour. 

The  things  that  he  heard,  though  he  was  prepared 
for  some  such  recital,  astounded  him  by  their  far-reach- 
ing gravity.  The  fact  was  of  a  familiar  character  ;  but 
it  came  with  the  acidulated  sting  of  novelty  to  those 
involved.  An  uproar,  of  which  Humphrey  in  his 
isolation  had  heard  but  the  dim  echo,  already  rioted 
through  Shaugh  Prior,  and  far  beyond  it. 

"  I'll  give  you  a  sketch  of  the  situation,"  said  the 
man  of  business.  "  And  I  will  then  submit  my  own 
theory  of  it  —  not  that  any  theory  can  alter  the  exceed- 
ingly unpleasant  facts.  It  belongs  merely  to  the  moral 
side  of  the  situation,  and  may  help  a  little  to  condone 
our  poor  friend's  conduct.  In  a  word,  I  do  not  believe 
he  was  responsible." 

"  Begin  at  the  other  end,"  answered  Humphrey. 
"  Whether  he  was  responsible  or  not  won't  help  us 
now.  And  it  won't  prevent  honest  men  spurning  his 
grave,  I  fancy." 

Mr.  Popham  collected  his  papers  and  read  a  long 
and  dismal  statement.  His  client  had  always  kept  his 
affairs  closely  to  himself,  and  such  was  the  universal 
trust  and  confidence  that  none  ever  pressed  him  to  do 
otherwise.  He  had  been  given  a  free  hand  in  the  ad- 
ministration of  considerable  sums;  he  had  invested 
where  he  pleased,  and  for  many  years  had  enjoyed  the 
best  of  good  fortune,  despite  the  hazardous  character 
of  the  securities  he  affected. 

"  No  man  was  ever  cursed  with  such  an  incurable 
gift  of  hope,"  explained  the  lawyer.  "  All  along  the 
line  you'll  find  the  same  sanguine  and  unjustifiable 
methods  exhibited.  The  rate  per  cent  was  all  he  cared 
about.     His  custom  was  to  pay  everybody  four  and 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  345 

a  half,  and  keep  the  balance.  But  when  companies 
came  to  grief  nobody  heard  anything  about  it ;  he  went 
on  paying  the  interest,  and,  no  doubt,  went  on  hoping 
to  make  good  the  capital.  This,  however,  he  seldom 
appears  to  have  done.  There  are  about  forty  small 
people  who  deposited  their  savings  with  him,  and  there 
is  nothing  for  any  of  them  but  valueless  paper.  He 
was  bankrupt  a  dozen  times  over,  and  the  thing  he'd 
evidently  pinned  his  last  hope  to  —  a  big  South  Ameri- 
can silver  mine  —  is  going  the  way  of  the  others.  Had 
it  come  off,  the  position  might  have  been  retrieved  ; 
but  it  is  not  coming  off.  He  put  five  thousand  pounds 
into  it — not  his  own  money  —  and  hoped,  I  suppose, 
to  make  thirty  thousand.     It  was  his  last  flutter." 

"  Where  did  he  get  the  money  ?" 

"  By  mortgaging  Cadworthy  and  by  using  a  good 
deal  of  his  late  brother's  capital.  I  mean  the  estate 
of  Mr.  Vivian  Baskerville." 

"  He's  a  fraudulent  trustee,  then  ?  " 

"He  is.  He  had  already  mortgaged  all  his  own 
property.  He  was  in  a  very  tight  place  about  the 
time  of  Mr.  Vivian's  death,  and  the  money  he  had  to 
handle  then  carried  him  on." 

"What  did  he  do  with  his  own  money?  How  did 
he  spend  that  ?  " 

"  We  shall  never  know,  unless  somebody  comes  for- 
ward and  tells  us.  I  trace  the  usual  expenditures  of  a 
publican  and  other  expenses.  He  always  kept  a  good 
horse  or  two,  and  he  rode  to  hounds  until  latterly,  and 
subscribed  to  several  hunts.  He  was  foolishly  generous 
at  all  times.  I  see  that  he  gave  away  large  sums  anony- 
mously—  but  unfortunately  they  were  not  his  own. 
There  is  no  doubt  that  his  judgment  failed  completely 
of  late  years.  He  was  so  accustomed  to  success  that 
he  had  no  experience  of  failure,  and  when  inevitable 
failures  came,  they  found  him  quite  unprepared  with 


346  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

any  reserves  against  them.  To  stem  the  tide  he  gam- 
bled, and  when  his  speculations  miscarried,  he  waded 
still  more  deeply.  He  was  engaged  in  borrowing  a 
large  sum  of  money  just  before  his  final  illness.  In- 
deed, he  came  to  me  for  it,  for  he  kept  me  quite  in  the 
dark  concerning  existing  mortgages  on  his  property. 
But  he  forgot  I  should  want  the  title-deeds.  He  was 
a  devious  man,  but  I  shall  always  believe  that  he  lacked 
moral  understanding  to  know  the  terrible  gravity  of  the 
things  he  did." 

"  How  do  we  stand  now  ?  " 

"  The  estate  is  from  six  thousand  to  seven  thousand 
pounds  to  the  bad." 

"  What  is  there  against  that  ?  " 

"  The  assets  are  practically  nil.  About  forty  pounds 
at  the  bank,  and  the  furniture  at  '  The  White  Thorn  ' 
Inn.  Of  course,  his  largest  creditor  will  be  Mr.  Ned 
Baskerville,  of  Cadworthy  Farm.  I  want  to  say,  by  the 
way,  that  this  state  of  things  is  quite  as  much  of  a  sur- 
prise to  me  as  to  anybody.  It  is  true  that  I  have  been 
his  solicitor  for  twenty  years,  but  my  work  was  nominal. 
I  had  no  knowledge  whatever  of  his  affairs.  He  never 
consulted  me  when  in  difficulties,  or  invited  my  opinion 
on  any  subject." 

"  What  about  the  Linterns  ?  " 

"  They  have  asked  to  stop  at  Undershaugh  for  the 
present.  I  fancy  Mrs.  Lintern  was  a  close  friend  of 
your  brother's.  However,  she  is  not  communicative. 
The  mortgagee  in  that  case,  of  course,  forecloses,  and 
will,  1  think,  be  contented  to  let  Mrs.  Lintern  stop 
where  she  is." 

"  There  was  no  will  ?  " 

"  I  can  find  none." 

"Yet  I  know  very  well  he  made  one  ten  years 
ago.     At  least,  he  came  to  me  once  rather  full  of  it." 

"  It  is  very  likely  that  he  destroyed  it." 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  347 

There  was  a  silence ;  then  Humphrey  Baskerville 
asked  a  question. 

"  Well,  what  d'you  want  of  me  ?  " 

The  other  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  I  leave  that  to  you.  You  know  how  much  or  how 
little  you  regard  this  disaster  as  a  personal  one." 

"  It  has  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  me.  I  never  lent 
him  a  penny.     He  never  asked  me  to  do  so." 

"  You  don't  recognise  any  obligation  ?  " 

"Absolutely  not  a  shadow  of  any  such  thing." 

"The  family  of  which  you  are  now  head ?  " 

"  A  sentimental  lawyer  !  " 

The  other  laughed. 

"  Not  much  room  for  sentimentality  —  at  least, 
plenty  of  room,  no  doubt.  Of  course,  if  you  don't  con- 
sider  " 

He  broke  off,  but  his  listener  did  not  speak. 

"  It  is  to  be  understood  I  must  not  ask  you  to  help 
me  r 

"  Not  in  any  practical  way  —  not  with  money  —  cer- 
tainly not.  For  the  rest,  if  as  a  man  of  business  I  can 
be  of  any  service " 

"  For  the  sake  of  the  family." 

"The  family  is  nothing  to  me  —  at  least,  the  one  hit 
hardest  is  nothing  to  me.  He'll  have  to  work  for  his 
living  now.  That's  no  hardship.  It  may  be  the  best 
thing  that's  befallen  him  yet." 

"  Very  true,  indeed.  Well,  let  us  leave  the  main 
question  open.  The  case  has  no  very  unusual  features. 
Occasionally  the  world  trusts  a  man  to  his  grave,  and 
then  finds  out,  too  late,  that  it  was  mistaken.  It  is  ex- 
traordinary what  a  lot  of  people  will  trust  a  good  heart, 
Mr.  Baskerville.  Trust,  like  hope,  springs  eternal  in 
the  human  breast." 

"Does  it?  I've  never  found  much  come  my  way. 
And  I'm  not  strong  in  trust  myself     I  felt  friendly  to 


348  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

Nathan,  because  he  was  my  own  flesh  and  blood ;  but 
trust  him  —  no." 

"  He  didn't  confide  in  you  ?  " 

"  Never." 

Mr.  Baskerville  rose. 

"  I  shall  see  my  relations  no  doubt  pretty  soon.  I 
fancy  they'll  pay  me  some  visits.  Well,  why  not  ?  I'm 
lonely,  and  rolling  in  money  —  so  they  think.  And  — 
there's  a  woman  that  I  rather  expect  to  call  upon  me. 
In  fact,  I've  bidden  her  to  do  so.  Perhaps,  if  she  don't, 
I'll  call  on  her.  For  the  present  we  can  leave  it.  If 
there's  no  money,  nobody  can  hope  to  be  paid.  We'll 
talk  more  on  that  later.     Who's  got  Cadworthy  ?  " 

"  Westcott  of  Cann  Quarries.  He  lent  the  money 
on  it." 

"  What  the  devil  does  he  want  with  it  ?  "  asked  Mr. 
Baskerville. 

"  That  I  can't  tell  you.  Probably  he  doesn't  want 
it.  He's  foreclosed,  of  course.  It  was  only  out  of 
friendship  and  regard  for  Mr.  Nathan  that  he  lent  so 
much  money  on  the  place.  He  tells  me  that  your 
brother  explained  to  him  that  it  was  for  a  year  or  so 
to  help  Ned  ;  and  out  of  respect  for  the  family  he 
gladly  obliged." 

"  Didn't  know  Westcott  was  so  rich." 

"  You  never  know  who's  got  the  money  in  these  parts. 
But  'tis  safe  to  bet  that  it  isn't  the  man  who  spends 
most.  There's  Mr.  Timothy  Waite,  too,  he  lent 
Nathan  a  thousand,  six  months  ago.  Some  cock-and- 
bull  story  your  poor  brother  told  him,  and  of  course, 
for  such  a  man,  he  gladly  obliged.  Each  that  he 
raised  money  from  thought  he  was  the  only  one  asked, 
of  course." 

"He  was  a  rogue,  and  the  worst  sort  of  rogue — a  chapel- 
going,  preaching, generous-handed,  warm-hearted  rogue. 
Such  men  are  the  thieves  of  virtue.  'Tis  an  infamous 
story," 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  349 

The  lawyer  stared,  and  Humphrey  continued. 

"  Such  men  are  robbers,  I  tell  you — robbers  of  more 
than  money  and  widows'  houses.  They  are  always  seem- 
ing honest,  and  never  being  so.  They  run  with  the 
hare  and  hunt  with  the  hounds.  They  get  the  benefit 
of  being  rogues,  and  the  credit  of  honest  men.  They 
are  imitation  good  men,  and  at  heart  know  not  the 
meaning  of  real  goodness.  They  have  the  name  of 
being  generous  and  kind  —  they  are  neither.  Look 
what  this  man  has  left  behind  him  —  blessings  turned 
to  curses.  All  a  sham,  and  a  lifelong  theft  of  men's 
admiration  and  esteem  —  a  theft;  for  he  won  it  by 
false  pretences  and   lived  a  lie." 

"  He  is  dead,  however." 

"Yes,  he  is  dead;  and  I  suppose  you  are  the  sort 
who  like  to  palter  with  facts  and  never  speak  ill  of  the 
dead.  Why  should  we  not  tell  the  truth  about  those 
who  are  gone  ?  Does  it  hurt  them  to  say  it  ?  No ; 
but  it  may  do  the  living  some  good  to  say  it.  If  living 
knaves  see  us  condoning  and  forgiving  dead  ones,  will 
they  turn  from  their  knavery  any  the  quicker  ?  We're 
a  slack-twisted,  sentimental  generation.  Justice  is  the 
last  thing  thought  of  It's  so  easy  to  be  merciful  to 
people  who  have  sinned  against  somebody  else.  But 
mercy's  slow  poison,  if  you  ask  me.  It  rots  the  very 
roots  of  justice." 

The  other  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  The  first  of  Christian  virtues,  Mr.  Baskerville,  we 
must  remember  that.  But  argument  won't  alter  facts. 
You  don't  see  yourway  to  do  anythingdefinite,  so  there's 
an  end  of  it.  Of  course,  there  is  no  shadow  of  obli- 
gation." 

"You're  right.  I'll  visit  you  again  presently.  Mean- 
time you  might  let  me  have  a  copy  of  the  claims.  I'm 
interested  in  knowing  how  many  fools  trusted  my 
dead   brother  with    their    money.     I    should   like    to 


350 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS 


know  what  manner  of  man  and  woman  put  their  sav- 
ings into  another  man's  pocket  without  security.  It 
seems  contrary  to  human  nature." 

"  There's  no  objection  at  all.  They  are  all  clamour- 
ing for  their  money.  And  if  the  South  American 
silver  mine  had  done  all  that  was  hoped,  not  only 
would  they  have  had  their  cash,  but  your  brother  must 
have  saved  his  own  situation,  cleared  his  responsibili- 
ties, and  died  solvent." 

"'If.'  There's  generally  a  rather  big  Mf  with  a 
South  American  anything,   I   believe." 

They  parted,  and  Humphrey  Baskerville  rode  home 
again.  Upon  the  way  he  deeply  pondered  all  the 
things  that  he  had  heard,  and  not  until  he  was  back 
at  Hawk  House  did  distraction  from  these  thoughts 
come.  Then  he  found  that  a  woman  waited  to  see 
him.  It  was  Priscilla  Lintern,  who  had  called  at  his 
invitation  ;  and  now  he  remembered  that  he  had  asked 
her,  and  half  regretted  the  act. 


CHAPTER   II 

MRS.  LINTERN  arrived  by  appointment,  for 
while  one  instinct  of  his  nature  pressed  Hum- 
phrey to  evade  this  problem  and  take  no  hand 
in  the  solution,  another  and  more  instant  impulse  acted 
in  opposition. 

He  surveyed  the  sweep  of  events  as  they  struck  at 
those  involved  in  Nathan's  ruin  and  death ;  and  act- 
ing upon  reasons  now  to  be  divulged,  he  sent  first  for 
the  mistress  of  Undershaugh;  because  in  his  judgment 
her  right  to  consideration  was  paramount. 

Even  in  the  act  of  summoning  her,  he  told  himself 
that  these  claims  were  no  business  of  his  to  investigate; 
and  that  he  was  a  fool  to  meddle.  He  repudiated  re- 
sponsibility at  one  breath,  and  deliberately  assumed  it 
with  the  next.  His  own  motives  he  did  not  pause  to 
examine. 

Introspection  irritated  him  and  he  turned  from  his 
conflicting  ideas  with  impatience.  In  himself  he  only 
saw  a  very  ill-balanced,  imprudent,  and  impertinent 
person  ;  yet  he  proceeded. 

Now  came  Mrs.  Lintern  to  know  what  he  would 
have,  and  he  saw  her  with  an  emotion  of  hearty  regret 
that  he  had  invited  her. 

In  answer  to  his  first  question  she  assured  him  that 
she  and  her  children  were  well. 

"  I'm  afraid  putting  off  the  wedding  has  annoyed 
your  nephew  a  good  bit,"  she  said ;  "  but  Cora  felt 
that  it  was  better;  and  so  did  I." 

"  Why  did  you  think  so  ?  " 

"  Well,  your  brother  held  it  so  much  to  heart ;  and 
he  was  Ned's  uncle.    We  could  only  have  made  a  very 

351 


352  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

quiet  business  of  it  in  decency;  and  Cora  felt  'twould 
be  sad  to  marry  under  the  cloud  of  death." 

"  Half  the  sorrow  in  the  world  is  wasted  on  what 
can't  be  helped.  It's  folly  to  mourn  what's  beyond 
altering — just  as  great  folly  as  to  mourn  the  past. 
Surely  you   know  that  ?  " 

"  No  doubt ;  but  who  can  help  it  that's  made  on  a 
human  pattern .? " 

"  The  world  would  be  a  cheerful  place  if  none  wept 
for  what  can't  be  altered.  There  was  nothing  in  rea- 
son to  stand  between  us  and  the  wedding.  'Twas  my 
brother's  last  wish,  for  that  matter." 

She  did  not  answer  and  a  silence  fell  between  them. 
He  was  determined  that  she  should  break  it,  and  at 
length  she  did  so. 

"  Your  brother  was  very  fond  of  Cora.  Of  course, 
we  at  Undershaugh  miss  him  a  very  great  deal." 

"  You  would  —  naturally." 

"  At  present  the  idea  is  that  they  get  married  in 
spring;  and  that  won't  be  none  too  soon,  for  every- 
thing's altered  now.  They'll  have  to  sell  half  they 
bought,  and  get  rid  of  their  fine  house  and  their 
horses,  and  much  else.  This  business  has  entirely 
altered  the  future  for  them,  poor  things." 

"  Utterly,  of  course.  'Twill  have  to  be  real  love 
to  stand  this  pinch.  Better  they  wait  a  bit  and  see 
how  they  feel  about  it.  They  may  change  their  minds. 
Both  are  pretty  good  at  that." 

She  sighed. 

"They  understand  each  other,  I  believe.  But  Ned 
won't  change,  whatever  Cora  does.  He's  wrapped  up 
heart  and  soul  in  her." 

"  He'll  have  to  seek  work  now." 

"  Yes  ;  he  is  doing  so." 

"  The  one  thing  he's  never  looked  for.  Harder  to 
find  work  than  foxes." 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  353 

"  He's  not  good  for  much." 

"  You  say  that  of  your  future  son-in-law  ?  " 

"Truth's  truth.  A  harmless  and  useless  man.  I 
can't  for  the  life  of  me  think  what  he'll  find  to  do." 

"Nathan  would  have  given  him  a  job  —  eh?  How 
wonderful  he  was  at  finding  work  for  people.  And 
what  does  Cora  think  of  it  all  ^ " 

"  She's  a  very  secret  girl." 

"  And  Heathman  ?  " 

"  Heathman  be  going  to  make  my  home  for  me  — 
somewhere.     'Tisn't  decided  where  we  go." 

"  You  leave  Undershaugh,  then  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  Nathan  wouldn't  have  wished  that,  I'm  sure." 

"  We  were  to  have  stopped,  but  the  new  owner 
wants  to  raise  the  rent  to  nearly  as  much  again." 

"  What  used  you  to  pay  ?  " 

She  hesitated.  Like  many  people  whose  position 
has  forced  them  into  the  telling  of  countless  lies,  she 
was  still  tender  of  truth  in  trifles. 

"  No  matter,"  he  said.  "  I  can  guess  the  figure 
very  easily,  and  nought's  the  shape  of  it." 

A  sinister  foreboding  flashed  through  her  mind.  It 
seemed  impossible  to  suppose  such  an  innuendo  innocent. 
Miss  Gollop  had  said  many  offensive  things  concern- 
ing her  after  Nathan's  death  ;  but  few  had  believed 
them,  and  still  fewer  shown  the  least  interest  in  the 
subject.  It  was  absurd  to  suppose  that  Humphrey 
Baskerville  would  trouble  his  head  with  such  a  rumour. 

"  Your  brother  was  generous  to  all,"  she  answered. 

"  Why,  he  was.  And  if  charity  shouldn't  begin  at 
home,  where  should  it  ^  " 

"He  was  very  generous  to  all,"  she  repeated. 

"  I've  been  seeing  Mr.  Popham  to-day." 

"  He's  a  true  kind  man,  and  wishful  to  do  what  he 
can.     The  rent  asked  now    for    Undershaugh  is  too 

2A 


354 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS 


high,  even  in  the  good  state  we've  made  it.  So  I've 
got  to  leave." 

"  'Twill  be  a  wrench." 

"  Yes,  indeed." 

"  But  not  such  a  bad  one  as  his  death  ? " 

"  That's  true." 

He  probed  her. 

"  Never  to  see  him  come  down  your  path  with  his 
bustling  gait ;  never  to  hear  the  laughter  of  the  man. 
You  held  his  hand  when  he  went  out  of  life.  He 
loved  you  —  'twas  the  master  passion  of  him." 

A  flush  of  colour  leapt  and  spread  over  her  face. 
She  gasped  but  said  nothing. 

"  A  cruel  thing  that  he  left  you  as  he  did." 

"  What  was  I  ?  "  she  began,  alert  and  ready  to  fight 
at  once  and  crush  this  suspicion.  "  What  are  you 
saying?     We  were  nothing " 

He  held  up  his  hand. 

"A  fool's  trick  —  a  lifelong  fool's  trick  to  hide  it 
—  a  cruel,  witless  thing  —  a  wrong  against  generations 
unborn  —  scandalous  —  infamous  —  beyond  belief  in  a 
sane  man." 

"  I  don't  understand  you.      God's  my " 

"  Hush  —  hush  !  I'm  not  an  enemy.  You  needn't 
put  out  your  claws ;  you  needn't  lie  to  me.  You 
needn't  break  oaths  to  me.  It's  a  secret  still;  but 
I  know  it  —  only  me.  You  were  his  mistress, 
Priscilla  Lintern  —  his  mistress  and  the  mother  of 
his  children." 

"  He  never  told  you  that." 

"  Not  he." 

"Who  did  tell  you?" 

"  Cora  told  me." 

"  She'd  rather  have " 

"  She  told  me  —  not  in  words  ;  but  every  other  way. 
I  knew  it  the  hour  she  came  to  see  me,  after  she  was 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  355 

engaged  to  marry  my  son.  She  strokes  her  chin  like 
Nat  stroked  his  beard.  Have  you  marked  that? 
She  thinks  just  like  Nat  thought  in  a  lot  of  ways, 
though  she's  not  got  his  heart.  She's  not  near  so  silly 
as  he  was.  Her  voice  was  the  echo  to  his  as  soon  as 
I  got  the  clue.  Her  eyes  were  his  again.  She  handles 
her  knife  and  fork  just  like  he  was  wont  to  do  it;  she 
sets  her  head  o'  one  side  to  listen  to  anybody  in  the 
way  he  did.  There's  birds  do  it  too  —  when  they 
gather  worms  out  of  the  grass.  And  from  that  I 
took  to  marking  t'others.  Your  second  girl  be  more 
like  you;  but  Heathman  will  be  nearer  his  father 
every  day  as  he  gets  older.  If  he  growed  a  beard, 
he'd  be  nearer  him  now.  Wait  and  watch.  And  he's 
got  his  heart.  Don't  speak  till  you  hear  more.  From 
finding  out  that  much,  I  sounded  Nathan  himself. 
Little  he  guessed  it,  but  what  I  didn't  know,  I  soon 
learned  from  him.  Cora  was  the  apple  of  his  eye. 
She  could  do  no  wrong.  'Twas  Vivian  and  Ned  over 
again.  He  spoke  of  you  very  guarded,  but  I  knew 
what  was  behind.  It  came  out  when  he  was  dying,  and 
he  was  too  far  gone  to  hide  it.  And  let  me  say  this : 
I'll  never  forgive  him  for  doing  such  a  wicked  thing 
—  never.  God  may;  but  I  won't.  I  wouldn't  for- 
give myself  if  I  forgave  him.  But  you  —  you  — 
dull  man  as  I  am,  I  can  see  a  bit  of  what  your  life 
was. 

"  A  better  life  —  a  more  precious  life  than  mine  no 
woman  ever  hved." 

He  took  a  deep  breath. 

Here  she  tacitly  confessed  to  all  that  he  had  declared. 
She  did  not  even  confirm  it  in  words,  but  granted  it 
and  proceeded  with  the  argument.  And  yet  his  whole 
theory  had  been  built  upon  presumption.  If  she  had 
denied  the  truth,  he  possessed  no  shadow  of  power  to 
prove  it. 


356  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

"  If  ever  I  pitied  anybody,  I  pity  you  ;  and  I  admire 
you  in  a  sort  of  left-handed  way.  You're  a  very  un- 
common creature  to  have  hid  it  in  the  face  of  such  a 
village  as  Shaugh  Prior." 

"  What  I  am  he  made  me.  He  was  a  man  in  ten 
thousand." 

"  I  hope  he  was.  Leave  him.  Let  me  say  this  afore 
we  get  on.  I  don't  judge  you  and,  God  knows  it,  I'm 
alive  to  this  thing  from  your  point  of  view.  You  loved 
him  well  enough  even  for  that.  But  there's  no  will. 
He  had  nothing  to  leave;  therefore  —  unless  you've 
saved  money  during  his  lifetime ?" 

"  I  don't  want  you  to  have  anything  to  do  with  my 
affairs,  Mr.  Baskerville." 

"  As  you  please.  But  there  are  your  children  to  be 
considered.  Now  it  may  very  much  surprise  you  to 
know  that  I  have  thought  a  lot  about  them.  Should 
you  say,  speaking  as  an  outsider,  that  I'm  under  any 
obligation  to  serve  them  ?  " 

The  sudden  and  most  unexpected  question  again 
startled  the  blood  from  Mrs.  Lintern's  heart. 

"  What  a  terrible  curious  man  you  are  !  What  a 
question  to  ask  me  !  "  she  said. 

"Answer  it,  however  —  as  if  you  wasn't  interested 
m  It. 

"  No,"  she  declared  presently.  "  None  can  say  that 
they  are  anything  to  do  with  you.  You  wasn't  your 
brother's  keeper.  They  be  no  kin  of  yours  in  law  or 
justice." 

"In  law  —  no.  In  justice  they  are  of  my  blood. 
Not  that  that's  anything.  You're  right.  They  are 
nought  to  me.  And  you  are  less  than  nought. 
But "     He  stopped. 

"  Why  have  you  told  me  that  you  have  found  this 
out  ? "  she  asked.  "  What  good  can  come  of  it  ? 
You'll  admit  at  least  'tis  a  sacred  secret,  and  you've 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  357 

no  right  whatever  to  breathe  it  to  a  living  soul  ?  You 
won't  deny  that  ?  " 

"  There  again  —  there's  such  a  lot  of  sides  to  it.  You 
might  argue  for  and  against.  Justice  is  terrible  difficult. 
Suppose,  for  instance,  that  I  held,  like  Jack  Head  holds 
and  many  such,  that  'tis  a  very  improper  thing  and  a 
treachery  to  the  unborn  to  let  first  cousins  mate  —  sup- 
pose I  held  to  that  ?  Ought  I  to  sit  by  and  let  Cora 
marry  Ned  ?  Now  there's  a  nice  question  for  an  honest 
man." 

"You  were  going  to  let  Cora  marry  your  own 
son. 

"  I  don't  know  so  much  about  that.  They  were 
engaged  to  each  other  before  I  found  it  out,  and  then, 
as  she  soon  flung  him  over,  there  was  no  need  for  me 
to  speak.  Now,  the  question  is,  shall  I  let  these  two 
of  the  same  blood  breed  and  maybe  bring  feebler  things 
than  themselves  into  the  world  ?  " 

"  This  is  all  too  deep  for  me.  One  thing  I  know, 
and  that  is  you  can  say  nought.  You've  come  to  the 
truth,  by  the  terrible,  wonderful  brains  in  your  head ; 
but  you've  no  right  to  make  it  known." 

"  You're  ashamed  of  it .? " 

She  looked  at  him  almost  with  contempt. 

"You  can  ask  that  and  know  me,  even  so  little  as 
you  do  ?  God's  my  judge  that  I'd  shout  it  out  from 
the  top  of  the  church  tower  to-morrow;  I'd  be  proud 
for  the  world  to  know;  and  so  much  the  louder  I'd 
sing  it  because  he's  gone  down  to  his  grave  unloved 
and  in  darkness.  It  would  make  life  worth  Hving  to 
me,  even  now,  if  I  could  open  my  mouth  and  fight  for 
him  against  the  world.  Not  a  good  word  do  I  hear 
now  —  all  curse  him  —  all  forget  the  other  side  of  him 
—  all  forget  how  his  heart  went  out  to  the  sorrowful 
and  sad.  .  .  .  But  there  —  what's  the  use  of  talking  ? 
He  don't  want  me  to  fight  for  him." 


3S8  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

"  If  you  feel  that,  why  don't  you  stand  up  before  the 
people  and  tell  'em  ?  " 

"  There's  my  children." 

"  Be  they  more  to  you  than  he  was  ? " 

"  No  ;  but  they  are  next." 

"  I  hate  deceit.     Who'll  think  the  worse  of  them  ?  " 

"Who  won't?" 

"  None  that  are  worth  considering." 

"  You  know  very  little  about  the  world,  for  all  that 
you  are  deep  as  the  dark  and  can  find  out  things 
hidden.  What  about  my  darters.''  No,  it  wouldn't 
be  a  fair  thing  to  let  it  out." 

"  I  hold  it  very  important." 

"It  shan't  be,  I  tell  you.  You  can't  do  it;  you 
never  would." 

"  You're  right.  I  never  would.  But  that's  not  to 
say  I  don't  wish  it  to  come  out.  For  them,  mind  you, 
I  speak.  I  leave  you  out  now.  I  put  you  first  and 
you  say  you'd  like  it  known.  So  I  go  on  to  them, 
and  I  tell  you  that  for  their  peace  of  mind  and  well- 
being  in  the  future,  'tis  better  a  thousand  times  they 
should  start  open  and  fair,  without  the  need  of  this 
lie  between  them  and  the  world." 

"  I  don't  agree  with  that.  When  the  truth  was  told 
them  on  his  deathbed,  'twas  settled  it  should  never  go 
no  further." 

"  Wait  and  think  a  moment  before  you  decide. 
What  has  it  been  to  you  to  hide  the  truth  all  your  life  ?  " 

"  A  necessity.  I  soon  grew  used  to  it.  Nobody 
was  hurt  by  it.     And  Nathan  kept  his  money." 

"  Don't  fool  yourself  to  think  that  none  was  hurt 
by  it.  Everybody  was  hurt  by  it.  A  prosperous  lie 
be  like  a  prosperous  thistle :  it  never  yet  flourished 
without  ripening  seed  and  increasing  its  own  poisonous 
stock  a  thousandfold.  The  world's  full  of  that  thistle- 
down.    Your    children    know    the  truth   themselves ; 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  359 

therefore  I  say  it  should  come  out.  They've  no  right 
to  stand  between  you  and  the  thing  you  want  to  do. 
I'll  wager  Heathman  don't  care  —  it's  only  your 
daughters." 

"  More  than  that.  Nathan  would  never  have 
wished  it  known." 

"  No  argument  at  all.  He  was  soaked  in  crooked- 
ness and  couldn't  see  straight  for  years  afore  he  died." 

"  I  won't  have  it  and  1  won't  argue  about  it." 

"  Well,  your  word's  law.  But  you're  wrong ;  and 
you'll  live  to  know  you're  wrong.  Now  what  are  you 
going  to  do  ?  We'll  start  as  though  I  knew  nought 
of  this  for  the  moment." 

"I  stop  at  Undershaugh  till  spring.  I've  got  no 
money  to  name.  We  shall  settle  between  ourselves 
—  me  and   Heathman." 

"I'll " 

He  stopped. 

"  No,"  he  said ;  "  I  can't  promise  anything,  come 
to  think  of  it ;  and  I  can't  commit  myself  'Tis  folly 
to  say,  *  let  the  position  be  as  though  I  didn't  know 
the  truth.'  It  can't  be.  I  do  know  it,  and  I'm  in- 
fluenced by  it.  I'll  do  nothing  at  all  for  any  of  you 
unless  this  comes  out.  I  say  that,  not  because  I  don't 
care  for  my  brother's  children,  but  because  I  do  care 
for  them." 

"  I  don't  want  you  to  do  anything.  I've  got  my 
son.  I  refuse  absolutely  to  speak.  Until  my  chil- 
dren are  all  of  one  mind  about  it,  the  thing  must  be 
hidden  up  —  yes,  hidden  up  for  evermore.  I  won't 
argue  the  right  or  the  wrong.  'Tis  out  of  my  hands, 
and  so  long  as  one  of  them  says  *  no,'  I  hold  it  my 
duty  to  keep  silent.     And,  of  course,  'tis  yours  also." 

"  Who  knows  what  my  duty  would  be  if  Ned  was 
going  to  marry  Cora  ?  I'd  sacrifice  the  unborn  to 
you ;    but    not  to    your   daughter    and    my   nephew. 


360  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

There  have  been  enough  tongues  to  curse  that  worthless 
pair  already.  You  don't  want  their  own  children  to 
do  the  same  in  the  time  to  come  ?  But  perhaps  I 
know  as  much  about  Cora  as  you  do  about  Ned. 
Wait  and  see  if  she  changes  her  mind,  since  he  has 
lost  his  fortune." 

Priscilla  rose. 

"  I  will  go  now,"  she  said.  "  Of  course,  you  can't 
guess  how  this  looks  to  a  woman  —  especially  to  me 
of  all  women.  To  find  that  you  knew  —  and  no 
doubt  you  thought  I'd  come  here  and  drop  dead  afore 
you  of  shame." 

"  No,  I  didn't.  If  you'd  been  that  sort,  I  shouldn't 
have  plumped  it  out  so  straight.  You  are  a  brave 
creature,  and  must  always  have  been  so.  Well,  I 
won't  deny  you  the  name  of  wife  in  secret  —  if  you 
like  to  claim  it." 

She  was  moved  and  thanked  him.  Satisfaction 
rather  than  concern  dominated  her  mind  as  she  re- 
turned homeward.  She  felt  glad  that  Nathan's  brother 
knew,  and  no  shadow  of  fear  dimmed  her  satisfaction ; 
for  she  was  positive  that,  despite  any  declared  doubts, 
he  would  never  make  the  truth  public. 

Her  own  attitude  was  even  as  she  had  described  it. 
She  would  have  joyed  to  declare  her  close  companion- 
ship, if  only  to  stop  the  tongues  of  those  who  hesi- 
tated not  to  vilify  the  dead  before  her. 

Eliza  Gollop  had  told  many  stories  concerning  Mrs. 
Lintern's  attendance  in  the  sick  room  ;  but  few  were 
interested  in  them  or  smelt  a  scandal.  They  never 
identified  Priscilla  with  the  vanished  innkeeper ;  they 
did  not  scruple  to  censure  Nathan  before  her  and  heap 
obloquy  on  his  fallen  head. 

Often  with  heart  and  soul  she  longed  to  fight  for 
him  ;  often  she  had  some  ado  to  hide  her  impotent 
anger ;    but    a   lifetime    of  dissimulation    had    skilled 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  361 

her  In  the  art  of  self-control.  She  listened  and 
looked  upon  the  angry  man  or  woman ;  she  even 
acquiesced  in  the  abuse  by  silence.  Seldom  did  she 
defend  the  dead  man,  excepting  in  secret  against  her 
daughters. 


CHAPTER   III 

WHEN  Cora  Lintern  returned  home  she  brought 
with  her  a  resolution.  Her  intentions  were  cal- 
culated to  cause  pain,  and  she  carried  them  so 
much  the  quicker  to  execution,  that  the  thing  might  be 
done  and  the  blow  struck  as  swiftly  as  possible.  She 
revealed  her  plan  to  none,  and  only  made  it  public 
when  he  who  was  chiefly  involved  had  learned  it. 

Ned  Baskerville  called  to  see  Cora,  who  had  been 
stopping  with  friends;  and  when  she  had  spoken  upon 
general  subjects,  she  made  him  come  out  with  her  to 
the  wintry  side  of  West  Down,  and  there  imparted  her 
wintry  news. 

"  Have  you  found  anything  to  do  ?  "  was  Cora's 
first  question,  and  he  answered  that  he  had  not. 

"  People  don't  understand  me,"  he  said.  "  Here  is 
Rupert  talking  about  labourer's  work,  as  if  it  was  a 
perfectly  decent  suggestion  to  make.  My  farm's 
gone,  and  he  seems  to  think  I  might  offer  to  stop 
there  under  somebody,  like  he  has  himself." 

"You  want  something  better." 

"  Why,  of  course.  I  might  get  a  clerkship  or  some 
such  thing,  I  should  think.  A  man  who  has  lived  my 
life  can't  go  and  dig  potatoes.  But  the  difficulty  is  to 
get  work  like  that  away  from  towns.  I  can't  be  ex- 
pected to  live  in  a  town,  and  I  won't." 

"  Mr.  Tim  Waite  is  a  friend  of  the  people  I've  been 
stopping  with,"  she  said.  "  He's  rich  and  all  that. 
I  believe  he  might  find " 

*"'  Thank  you  for  nothing,  Cora.  I'm  hardly  likely 
to  trouble  him,  am  I  ? " 

362 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  363 

"  Not  much  use  talking  like  that." 

"  I'll  take  patronage,  if  I  must,  because  beggars 
can't  be  choosers ;  but  I'll  not  take  it  from  my  in- 
feriors." 

"  '  Inferiors  '  !  That's  a  funny  word  for  you  to  use. 
How  is  Timothy  Waite  your  inferior?  I  don't  see 
it." 

"  Don't  you  ?  "  he  answered,  getting  red.  "  Then 
you  ought  to  see  it.  Damn  it  all,  Cora,  you're  so 
cold-blooded  where  I'm  concerned.  And  yet  you're 
supposed  to  love  me  and  want  to  marry  me." 

"  I'm  not  a  fool,  and  if  'tis  cold-blooded  to  have  a  bit 
of  common-sense,  then  I'm  cold-blooded.  Though  I'm 
a  bit  tired  of  hearing  you  fling  the  word  in  my  face. 
Timothy  Waite  always  was  as  good  a  man  as  you  ;  and 
why  not  ?  " 

"  I  should  call  him  a  mean,  money-grubbing  sort  of 
chap  myself —  close-fisted  too.  He's  not  a  sportsman, 
anyway.     You  can't  deny  that." 

"  Not  much  good  being  generous,  if  you've  got 
nought  to  be  generous  with.  And  mean  he  is  not. 
He  lent  money  to  your  uncle,  and  never  pushed  the 
claim  half  as  hard  as  many  smaller  men.  I  know  him 
a  long  sight  better  than  you  do.  And,  if  you've  got 
any  sense  left,  you'll  go  to  him  and  ask  him  if  he  can 
help  you  to  find  a  job.  I'm  only  thinking  of  you  —  not 
myself.  I  can  go  into  a  hat  shop  any  day  ;  but  you  — 
you  can't  do  anything.  What  are  you  good  for  ?  For 
that  matter  you  don't  seem  to  be  able  to  get  a  chance  to 
show  what  you  are  good  for.  All  your  swell  hunting 
friends  are  worth  just  what  I  said  they  were  worth. 
Now  you're  down  on  your  luck,  they  look  t'other 
way." 

He  began  to  grow  angry. 

"  You're  the  fair-weather  sort  too,  then  ?  One  here 
and  there  has  hinted  to  me  that  you  were  — your  brother 


364  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

always  said  it.  But  never,  never  would  I  stand  it  from 
any  of  them.     And  now  I  see  that  it  is  so." 

"  No  need  to  call  names.  The  case  is  altered  since 
Nathan  Baskerville  ruined  you,  and  I'm  not  the  senti- 
mental kind  to  pretend  different.  As  we're  on  this  now, 
we'd  better  go  through  with  it.  You  want  to  marry 
me  and  I  wanted  to  marry  you  ;  but  we  can't  live  on 
air,  I  believe.  I  can't,  anyway.  It's  a  very  simple 
question.  You  wish  to  marry  me  so  soon  as  I  please ; 
but  what  do  you  mean  to  keep  me  on  ?  I've  got  noth- 
ing—  you  know  that;  and  you've  got  less  than  noth- 
ing, for  there's  the  rent  of  the  house  we  were  to  have 
lived  in." 

"  I've  let  the  house  and  I  am  looking  round.  I'm 
open  to  any  reasonable  offer." 

"  What  nonsense  you  talk !  Who  are  you  that 
people  should  make  you  offers  ?  What  can  you  do  ? 
I  ask  you  that  again." 

"  By  God  1     And  you're  supposed  to  love  me  !  " 

"When  poverty  comes  in  at  the  door  —  you  know 
the  rest.  I'm  not  a  heroine  of  a  story-book.  All  very 
well  for  you  ;  but  what  about  me  ?  You  can't  afford  to 
marry,  and  I  can't  afford  not  to ;  so  there  it  stands. 
There's  only  one  thing  in  the  world  —  only  one  thing 
—  that  you  can  be  trusted  to  earn  money  at,  and  that's 
teaching  people  to  ride  horses.  And  that  you  won't 
do.  I've  thought  it  out,  and  you  needn't  swear  and 
curse  ;  because  it's  the  truth." 

"Damn  it  all " 

"  No  good  raging.  You're  selfish,  and  you  never 
think  of  me  working  my  fingers  to  the  bone  and,  very 
likely,  not  knowing  where  to  look  for  a  meal.  You 
only  want  me  —  not  my  happiness  and  prosperity. 
That's  not  love.  If  you  loved  me,  you  would  have 
come  long  since  and  released  me  from  this  engagement, 
and  saved  me  the  pain  of  all  this  talk.     Nobody  ever 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  365 

thinks  of  me  and  my  future  and  my  anxieties.  I've  only 
got  my  face  and  —  and  —  you  say  '  damn  '  and  I'll  say 
it  too.  Damn  —  damn  —  damn  —  that's  thrice  for 
your  once ;  and  I  hate  you  thrice  as  much  as  you  hate 
me,  and  I've  thrice  the  reason  to.  I  hate  you  for  being 
so  selfish  ;  and  'tis  no  good  ever  you  saying  you  care 
about  me  again,  because  you  never  did  —  not  really. 
You  couldn't  —  else  you  wouldn't  have  put  yourself 
first  always." 

He  started,  quite  reduced  to  silence  by  this  assault. 
She  struck  him  dumb,  but  his  look  infuriated  her. 

"  You  won't  make  me  draw  back,  so  you  needn't 
think  it,"  she  cried.  "  I'm  not  ashamed  of  a  word 
I've  said.  'Tis  you  ought  to  be  ashamed.  And  I'm 
not  sorry  for  you  neither,  for  you've  never  once  been 
sorry  for  me.  After  the  crash,  not  one  word  of  trouble 
for  my  loss  and  my  disappointment  did  you  utter  — 
'twas  only  whining  about  your  horses,  and  the  house 
at  Plympton,  and  all  the  rest  of  it.  Vain  cursing  of 
the  man  in  his  grave ;  when  you  ought  to  have  cursed 
yourself  for  letting  him  have  the  power  to  do  what 
he  did.  I'd  have  stuck  to  you,  money  or  no  money, 
if  you'd  been  a  different  man  —  I  swear  that.  I'd 
have  taken  you  and  set  to  work  —  as  I  shall  now,  single- 
handed —  but  how  can  any  decent  girl  with  a  proper 
conceit  of  herself  sink  herself  to  your  level  and  become 
your  drudge  ^  Am  I  to  work  for  us  both  ?  Are  you 
going  to  live  on  the  money  I  make  out  of  women's 
bonnets  ?  " 

"  No  !  "  he  answered.  "  Don't  think  that.  I'm 
dull,  I  know,  and  slow-witted.  Such  a  fool  was  I 
that  I  never  believed  anything  bad  of  a  woman,  or 
ever  thought  an  unkind  thought  of  anything  in  petti- 
coats. But  you  use  very  straight  English  always,  and 
you  make  your  meaning  perfectly  clear.  I  know  it 
won't  be  easy  for  me  to  get  the  work  I  want.      I  may 


366  THE    THREE   BROTHERS 

be  poor  for  a  long  time  —  perhaps  always.  I'll  release 
you,  Cora,  if  that's  what  you  wish.  No  doubt  I  ought 
to  have  thought  of  it;  but  I'll  swear  I  never  did.  I 
thought  you  loved  me,  and  everything  else  was  small 
by  comparison.  If  anybody  had  said  'release  her,'  I'd 
have  told  him  that  he  didn't  know  what  love  of  woman 
meant  —  or  a  woman's  love  of  man.  But  you  can  be 
free  and  welcome,  and  put  the  fault  on  my  shoulders. 
They  can  bear  it.  Go  to  Timothy.  He's  always 
wanted  you." 

"  You  needn't  be  coarse.  I'm  sick  and  tired  of  all 
you  men.  You  don't  know  what  love  means  —  none 
of  you.  And  since  you  say  I'm  to  go,  I'll  go.  And 
I'll  find  peace  somewhere,  somehow;  but  not  with 
none  of  you." 

He  laughed  savagely. 

"You've  ruined  me — that's  what  you've  done. 
Meat  and  drink  to  you,  I'll  wager  !  Ruined  me  worse 
than  ever  my  uncle  did.  I  could  have  stood  up  against 
that.  I  did.  I'd  pretty  well  got  over  the  pinch  of  it. 
Though  'twas  far  more  to  me  than  anybody,  I  took  it 
better  than  anybody,  and  my  own  mother  will  tell  you 
so.  But  why  ?  Because  I  thought  I'd  got  you  safe 
enough  and  nothing  else  mattered.  I  never  thought 
this  misfortune  meant  that  you'd  give  me  the  slip.  If 
any  man  had  hinted  such  a  thing,  I'd  have  knocked 
his  teeth  down  his  throat.     But  I  was  wrong  as  usual." 

"  You  gave  me  credit  for  being  a  fool  as  usual." 

"  Never  that,  Cora.  I  always  knew  very  well  you 
were  clever,  but  I  thought  you  were  something  more. 
You  crafty  things  —  all  of  you!  And  now  —  what? 
'Twill  be  said  I've  jilted  another  girl  —  not  that  the 
only  woman  I  ever  honestly  worshipped  with  all  my 
heart  have  jilted  me." 

"  No  need  to  use  ugly,  silly  words  about  it.  All 
that  will  be  said  by  sensible  people  is  that  we've  both 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  367 

seen  reason  and  cut  our  coats  according  to  our  cloth. 
The  people  will  only  say  you've  got  more  wits  than 
they  thought.  Let  it  be  understood  we  were  of  the 
same  mind,  and  so  we  both  get  a  bit  of  credit  for  sense." 

"  Never  !  "  he  burst  out  passionately.  "  You're  a 
hard-hearted,  cruel  devil.  You  know  where  the  fault 
is  and  who's  to  blame.  You  think,  of  nought  but 
your  own  blasted  comfort  and  pleasure,  and  you  never 
cared  no  more  for  me  than  you  cared  for  my  cousin 
before  me.  But  I'll  not  hang  myself — be  sure  of 
that ! " 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders. 

"You  might  do  worse,  all  the  same,"  she  said. 
"For  you're  only  cumbering  the  earth  that  I  can  see." 

Thereupon  he  swore  wild  oaths  and  rushed  off  and 
left  her  on  the  hillside  alone. 

When  he  was  gone  she  went  her  own  way,  but 
not  to  Undershaugh.  By  deep  lanes  and  field-paths 
familiar  to  her  she  took  a  long  walk,  and  at  the  end 
of  it  found  herself  at  Coldstone  Farm,  the  abode  of 
Mr.  Timothy  Waite.  He  was  from  home,  and  she 
asked  for  pen  and  paper  that  she  might  leave  a  note 
for  him.  Her  communication  was  short,  and  when 
she  had  written  it  and  sealed  it  with  exceeding  care, 
she  set  off  again  for  home. 

Anon  Mr.  Waite  opened  it  and  was  much  disap- 
pointed at  the  length.  But  Cora's  matter  atoned  for 
this  shortcoming. 

"  Have  settled  with  N.  B.     Yours,  C." 

And  elsewhere,  while  she  retraced  her  way  from  Cold- 
stone,  the  discarded  lover  came  to  a  wild  conclusion 
with  himself.  He  steadied  his  steps,  stood  at  the 
Moor  edge  in  two  minds,  then  turned  and  set  off  for 
Hawk  House. 

This  blow  had  staggered  him,  had  even  awakened 


368  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

him  from  the  fatuous  dream  in  which  he  passed  his 
days.  He  had  a  vague  idea  that  Humphrey  might 
be  glad  to  know  of  this  broken  engagement ;  that  it 
might  even  put  his  uncle  into  a  more  amiable  temper. 
Ned  had  been  advised  by  Rupert  to  see  Mr.  Basker- 
ville ;  but  had  declined  to  do  so  until  the  present 
time. 

At  Hawk  House  Mrs.  Hacker  met  him  and  made 
no  effort  to  hide  astonishment. 

"  Wonders  never  cease,  I'm  sure  !  You,  of  all 
men  !  Master  be  on  the  Moor,  riding  somewheres, 
but  if  you  want  him,  you  can  wait  for  him.  He  al- 
ways comes  in  at  dusk.      How's  your  young  woman  ?  " 

The  man  was  in  no  mood  for  talk  with  Susan  and 
cut  her  short. 

"  I'll  wait,  then,"  he  said.  "  I'll  wait  in  the  gar- 
den." 

He  walked  up  and  down  amid  the  nut  trees  for  an 
hour.     Then  Humphrey  returned. 

Tea  was  served  for  them  in  the  kitchen  ;  Susan 
went  out  and  the  way  opened  for  Ned. 

"  You  might  be  surprised  to  see  me,"  he  began ; 
"but  though  I  know  you  don't  like  me  —  natural 
enough  too  —  still,  I'm  your  eldest  nephew,  and  I  felt 
at  a  time  like  this  you'd  not  refuse  to  let  me  speak  to 
you. 

"  Speak,  and  welcome." 

"  Of  course,  all  our  lives  are  turned  upside  down  by 
this  terrible  business." 

"  Not  all.  In  these  cases  'tis  the  drones,  not  the 
workers,  that  are  hit  hardest.  If  you've  got  wit 
enough  to  understand  what  you  see  under  your  eyes, 
you'll  find  that  your  brother  Rupert,  for  instance,  can 
go  on  with  his  life  much  as  before ;  and  scores  of 
others  —  they've  lost  a  bit  of  money  —  cheated  out 
of  it  by  my  brother,  the  late  Nathan  Baskerviile  — 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  369 

but  it  don't  wreck  them.  'Tis  only  such  as  you  — 
accustomed  all  your  life  to  idle  and  grow  fat  on  other 
men's  earnings  —  'tis  only  such  as  you  that  are  stranded 
by  a  thing  like  this.  I  suppose  you  want  to  get  back 
into  the  hive  —  like  t'other  drones  when  the  pinch  of 
winter  comes  — and  the  world  won't  let  you  in  ?  " 

This  uncompromising  speech  shook  Ned  and,  under 
the  circumstances,  he  felt  that  it  was  more  than  he 
could  bear. 

"  If  you  knew  what  had  happened  to  me  to-day, 
you'd  not  speak  so  harsh,  Uncle  Humphrey,"  he 
answered.  "  I  may  tell  you  that  I've  been  struck  a 
very  cruel  blow  in  the  quarter  I  least  expected  it.  Cora 
Lintern's  thrown  me  over." 

"  Cat-hearted  little  bitch,"  he  said.  "  And  you 
bleat  about  a  *  cruel  blow '  !  Why,  you  young  fool, 
escape  from  her  is  the  best  piece  of  fortune  that  ever 
fell  to  your  lot  —  or  is  ever  likely  to.  And  you  ask 
me  to  be  sorry  for  you  !  Fool's  luck  is  always  the 
best  luck.  You've  had  better  fortune  far  than  ever 
you  deserved  if  she's  quitted  you." 

"  You  can't  look  at  it  as  I  do ;  you  can't  see  what 
my  life  must  be  without  her." 

"  Eat  your  meat  and  don't  babble  that  stuff." 

Ned  shook  his  head. 

"  Don't  want  nothing,  thank  you." 

"  Well,  hear  me,"  said  Humphrey.  "  You  sought 
me  of  your  own  free  will,  and  so  you  may  as  well 
listen.  You've  come,  because  you  think  I  can  do  you 
a  turn  —  eh  ?  " 

"  I'm  down  on  my  luck,  and  I  thought  perhaps  that 
you  —  anyway,  if  you  can  help,  or  if  you  can't,  you 
might  advise  me.  I've  looked  very  hard  and  very  far 
for  a  bit  of  work  such  as  I  could  do  ;  and  I've  not 
found  it." 

"  The  work   you    can    do   won't    be    easily   found. 


370  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

Begin  at  the  beginning.  You're  Godless  —  always  have 
been." 

"  Let  God  alone  and  He'll  let  you  alone  —  that's 
my  experience,"  said  Ned. 

"  Is  it  ?  Well,  your  experience  don't  reach  far. 
You've  come  to  the  place  where  God's  waiting  for 
you  now  —  waiting,  and  none  too  pleased  at  what  you 
bring  afore  Him.  You're  a  fool,  and  though  we 
mourn  for  a  wise  man  after  he's  dead,  we  mourn  for 
a  fool  all  the  days  of  his  life.  D'you  know  where 
that  comes  from  ?     Of  course  you  don't." 

"  I  can  mend,  I  suppose?  Anyway,  I've  got  to  be 
myself.  Nobody  can  be  different  to  their  own  char- 
acter." 

"Granted  —  you  can't  rise  above  your  own  char- 
acter ;  but  you  can  easily  sink  below  it.  That's  what 
you  have  done,  and  your  father  helped  you  from  the 
first." 

"  I  won't  hear  you  say  nothing  against  him.  Uncle 
Humphrey.  Good  or  bad,  he  was  all  goodness  to 
me. 

"  You  think  so,  but  you're  wrong.  Well,  I'll  leave 
him.  But  'tis  vain  to  judge  you  too  hard  when  I  re- 
member your  up-bringing." 

"  All  the  same,  I  will  say  this  for  myself:  when  you 
pull  me  to  pieces,  you'll  find  no  wickedness  in  me 
worth  mentioning.  Whatever  I  may  be,  I've  always 
behaved  like  a  gentleman  and  a  sportsman,  and  none 
will  deny  it,"  declared  Ned. 

"  The  biggest  fool  can  be  witty  when  it  comes  to  ex- 
cusing his  own  vices  to  his  conscience,"  replied  the  old 
man.  "  Fox  yourself  with  that  rubbish,  if  you  can,  not 
me.  To  behave  like  a  gentleman  is  to  be  a  gentle- 
man, I  should  think,  and  I  understand  the  word  very 
different  from  you.  You're  a  selfish,  worthless  thing 
—  a  man  that's  reached  near  to  thirty  without  putting 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  371 

away  his  childish  toys  —  a  man  that's  grown  to  man's 
estate  and  stature  without  doing  so  much  good  in  the 
world  as  my  blind  pony  —  nay,  nor  so  much  good  as 
the  worm  that  pulls  the  autumn  leaves  into  the  wet 
ground.  And  you  pride  yourself  on  being  a  gentle- 
man !  Better  larn  to  be  a  man  first  and  a  gentleman 
afterwards." 

"  I've  never  had  no  occasion  to  work  till  now.  No- 
body ever  asked  me  to  ;  nobody  ever  wanted  me  to. 
It  was  natural  that  I  shouldn't.  A  man  can't  help  his 
character,  and  I  can't  help  mine.  I  hate  work  and 
always  shall." 

"  That's  clear,  then.  And  I  can't  help  my  character 
either.  I  hate  idleness  and  always  shall.  Never  have 
I  given  a  loafer  a  helping  hand,  and  never  will  I. 
A  man  ought  to  be  like  Providence  and  only  help  those 
who  help  themselves." 

"  But  I  mean  to  work ;  I  need  to  work ;  I  must 
work." 

"  Laziness  is  a  cancer,"  said  Mr.  Baskerville.  "  'Tis 
just  as  much  a  cancer  as  the  human  ill  we  call  by  that 
name.  And  'tis  a  modern  thing.  There's  something 
rotten  with  the  world  where  any  man  can  live  without 
earning  the  right  to.  When  next  you  find  yourself 
caddling  about  on  the  Moor  wasting  your  time,  take 
a  look  at  the  roundy-poundies  —  they  circles  of  stones 
cast  about  on  the  hillsides  and  by  the  streams.  My 
son  Mark  knew  all  about  them.  They  were  set  up 
by  men  like  ourselves  who  lived  on  the  Moor  very 
long  ago.  Life  was  real  then.  Nought  but  their 
own  sweat  stood  between  the  old  men  and  destruction. 
The  first  business  of  life  was  to  keep  life  in  them  days. 
They  hunted  to  live,  not  for  pleasure.  They  hunted 
and  were  hunted.  No  time  to  be  lazy  then.  Did 
they  help  beggars  ?  Did  they  keep  paupers  ?  No ; 
all  had  to  toil   for  the  common  good  ;  and  if  a  man 


372 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS 


didn't  labour,  he  didn't  eat.  They  had  their  work  cut 
out  for  'em  to  wring  a  bare  Hving  out  of  the  earth  and 
the  creatures  on  it.  No  softness  of  mind  or  body 
then.  No  hoHdays  and  pleasurings  and  revels  then. 
And  I'd  have  it  so  again  to-morrow,  if  I  could.  Work 
and  eat;  idle  and  starve  —  that's  what  I'd  say  to  my 
fellow-creatures." 

"  I  mean  to  work  ;   I'm  ready  for  work." 

"  All  very  well  to  say  that  now.  You  may  be  ready 
for  work ;  but  what  sort  of  work  is  ready  for  you  ? 
What  can  you  do  ?  Can  you  break  stones  ?  There's 
a  Cornish  proverb  hits  you  this  minute :  '  Them  as 
can't  scheme  must  lowster.'  Your  father  was  very  fond 
of  using  it  —  to  every  lazy  body  but  you.  It  means 
that  if  you  haven't  the  wits  to  make  a  living  with  your 
brains,  you  must  do  it  with  your  hands.  It  all  comes 
back  to  work." 

"  I  know  it  does.  I  keep  on  telling  you  I'm  ready 
for  it  —  any  amount  of  it.  But  not  breaking  stones. 
I've  got  brains  in  my  head,  though  I  know  you  don't 
think  so.  I  came  to-day  to  know  if  you  would  give 
those  brains  a  trial.  I'm  a  free  man  now.  Cora  has 
flung  me  over,  so  there's  no  obligation  anywhere.  I'm 
free  to  stand  up  and  show  what  I'm  good  for.  I've 
sold  my  horses  and  given  up  hunting  already.  That's 
something." 

"  Something  you  couldn't  help.  How  much  did  you 
get  for  that  big  bright  bay  ?  " 

"  Forty-five  guineas." 

"  And  gave  ?  " 

"  Seventy.  But,  of  course,  I've  not  got  enough 
capital  all  told  to  be  much  practical  use  in  buying  into 
anything.     What  I  really  want  is  five  hundred  pounds." 

"A  common  want." 

"  And  I  thought  perhaps  that  you  —  I  thought  of  it 
as  I  came  here  to  see  you." 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  373 

"And  still  you  try  to  make  out  you're  not  a  fool  ?  " 

"  I  can  give  interest  and  security." 

"Yes  —  like  your  Uncle  Nathan,  perhaps.  In  a 
word,  I'll  not  do  anything.  Not  a  farthing  of  money 
and  not  a  hand  of  help.      But " 

He  stopped  as  the  younger  man  rose. 

"  I  didn't  ask  for  money ;  I  only  suggested  a  loan." 

"  I'll  loan  no  loans  to  you  or  any  man.  But  this  I 
will  do,  because  you  are  the  head  of  our  family  now, 
and  I  don't  want  anybody  to  say  I  helped  to  cast  you 
lower  when  you  were  down.  This  I  will  do :  I'll 
double  the  money  you  earn." 

"  Double  it !  "  exclaimed  Ned. 

"  That's  my  word ;  and  now  the  boot's  on  the  other 
leg,  and  I'm  the  fool  for  my  pains,  no  doubt.  But 
understand  me.  'Tis  what  you  earn^  not  what  you 
get.  When  you  come  to  me  and  say,  *  I've  found  a 
job,  and  I'm  paid  so  much  a  week  for  doing  it  by  an 
independent  man,'  then  I'll  double  what  he  gives  you. 
But  let  there  be  no  hookemsnivey  dealings,  for  I'll 
very  soon  find  them  out  if  you  try  it.  Let  it  be  fig- 
ures, let  it  be  horses,  let  it  be  clay,  let  it  be  stones  by 
the  road  —  I'll  double  what  you  earn  for  five  years. 
By  that  time,  maybe,  you'll  know  what  work  means, 
and  thank  Heaven,  that's  taught  you  what  it  means. 
Go  and  find  work  —  that's  what  you've  got  to  do;  go 
and  find  what  you're  worth  in  the  open  market  of  men. 
And  you  needn't  thank  me  for  what  I  offer.  'Twill  be 
little  enough,  I  promise  you  —  as  you'll  find  when  you 
come  to  hear  the  money  value  of  your  earning  powers." 

"  All  the  same  I  do  thank  you,  and  I  thank  you 
with  all  my  heart,"  said  Ned  :  "  and  perhaps  you'll 
be  a  bit  more  astonished  than  you  think  for.  Uncle 
Humphrey,  when  you  find  what  I  can  do." 

Then  his  nephew  went  away  in  doubt  whether  to  be 
elated  or  cast  down. 


CHAPTER   IV 

AN  elderly  man  called  Abraham  Elford  became 
tenant  of  *  The  White  Thorn '  after  Basker- 
ville's  death.  He  lacked  the  charm  of  Nathan, 
and  it  was  rumoured  that  the  quality  of  his  liquor  by 
no  means  equalled  that  provided  by  the  vanished  mas- 
ter of  the  inn  ;  but  no  choice  offered  of  other  drink- 
ing houses,  and  the  new  publican  retained  all  former 
patronage. 

One  subject  at  this  season  proved  rich  enough  to 
shut  out  all  lesser  matters  from  conversation,  for  the 
wide  waves  of  concern  set  rolling  when  Nathan  died 
had  as  yet  by  no  means  subsided.  Each  day  for  many 
days  brought  news  of  some  fresh  disaster  to  humble 
folk ;  and  then  came  another  sort  of  intelligence  that 
gratified  the  few  and  angered  the  many. 

Mr.  Elford  and  certain  of  his  customers,  not  directly 
interested,  found  the  subject  of  Nathan's  affairs  exceed- 
ingly wearisome  and  often  sought  to  turn  talk  into  other 
channels ;  but  not  for  long  could  they  be  said  to  suc- 
ceed. Local  politics  and  weather  soon  lost  their  power 
to  hold  the  people ;  and  those  disasters  spread  by  the 
late  publican  swiftly  cropped  up  again  to  the  exclusion 
of  less  pungent  concerns. 

A  party  of  men  was  assembled  at  *  The  White 
Thorn'  near  Christmas  time,  and  they  wrangled  on 
over  this  well-trodden  ground  until  Joe  Voysey,  who 
had  not  suffered,  turned  to  the  grey-headed  host  be- 
hind the  bar  and  asked  a  question. 

"  Did  this  here  fire  fail  afore  you  comed,  Abraham  ?  " 
he  asked.     "  'Tis  a  well-known  fact  that  '  The  White 

374 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  375 

Thorn  *  hearth  haven't  been  cold  for  a  hundred  year 
—  peat  always  smouldering,  or  else  blazing,  upon  it." 

"  Yes,  and  a  thousand  pities,"  answered  the  other. 
"At  the  time  of  Mr.  Baskerville's  death,  of  course, 
there  was  a  terrible  deal  of  running  about  and  confu- 
sion. And  the  fire  was  forgot.  1  knowed  the  old 
saying  and  was  very  sorry  to  see  it  black  out." 

"What  do  it  matter  ?  "  asked  Jack  Head.  He  was 
in  a  quarrelsome  mood  and  bad  company  on  the  occa- 
sion. "  These  silly  sayings  and  fancies  are  better 
forgot.  Who's  the  wiser  for  a  thing  like  that  ? 
Probably,  when  all's  said,  'tis  a  lie.  I  dare  say  the 
fire  went  out  scores  of  times  when  Nathan  was  here, 
and  somebody  just  lit  it  again  and  said  nought  about 
it." 

"That's  wrong.  Jack,"  declared  Heathman  Lintern, 
who  was  present.  "  Mr.  Baskerville  took  a  lot  of 
care  of  the  fire  and  felt  very  proud  of  it.  A  score  of 
times  I've  heard  him  tell  people  about  it,  and  that  the 
fire  had  never  been  douted  for  more  than  a  hundred 
years." 

"  One  thing  I  know,  that  if  there  was  such  a  place 
as  hell,  he'd  soon  meet  with  a  fire  as  would  last  longer 
still,"  answered  Head.  "A  fire  that  never  will  be 
douted.     And  right  well  he'd  deserve  it." 

Thomas  Gollop  found  himself  in  agreement  with 
this  ferocity. 

"You're  right  there,  and  there  is  such  a  place  — 
have  no  fear  of  that,  though  'tis  your  way  to  scorn  it. 
For  my  part  I  say  that  there  couldn't  be  no  justice 
without  it.  He  devoured  widows'  houses  and  stole 
the  bread  of  the  poor  —  what  worse  can  any  man  do  ?  " 

"  A  man  can  backbite  the  dead,  and  spit  out  his 
poison  against  them  as  never  hurt  him  in  word  or 
deed,"  answered  Heathman  Lintern.  "  'Tis  always 
your  way  to  blackguard  them   that  be  out  of  earshot 


376  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

and  the  power  to  answer ;  and  the  further  a  man  be 
away,  the  louder  you  yelp.  Faults  or  no  faults,  the 
likes  of  you  wasn't  worthy  to  wipe  his  shoes." 

"You  Linterns  —  well,  I'll  say  nought,"  began 
Jack  Head ;  but  the  subject  was  too  attractive  for 
him  and  he  proceeded. 

"  If  he  left  your  mother  any  money,  it's  against  the 
law,  and  you  can  tell  her  so.  It  wasn't  his  to  leave, 
and  if  she  got  money  from  him  in  secret,  it's  my 
money  —  not  hers  —  mine,  and  many  other  people's 
before  it's  hers.  And  if  she  was  honest  she'd  give  it 
back." 

"  You've  lost  your  wits  over  this,"  answered  Lintern, 
"and  if  you  wasn't  an  old  man.  Jack,  I'd  hammer 
your  face  for  mentioning  my  mother's  name  in  such 
a  way.  She  never  had  a  penny  by  him,  and  the  next 
man  that  says  she  did  shall  get  a  flea  in  his  ear  —  old 
or  young." 

"  Let  it  be  a  lesson  to  all  sorts  and  conditions  not 
to  trust  a  Dissenter,"  said  Gollop.  "  I've  known 
pretty  well  what  they're  good  for  from  the  first  mo- 
ment they  began  to  lift  their  heads  in  the  land. 
They  never  were  to  be  trusted,  and  never  will  be. 
And  as  for  Nathan  Baskerville,  he  was  a  double  ser- 
pent, and  I  shall  tell  the  truth  out  against  him  when 
and  where  I  please;  and  why  for  not?  " 

"  You  don't  know  the  meaning  of  truth,"  began 
Heathman ;  "  no  more  don't  that  old  cat,  your 
sister." 

"  Better  leave  my  sister  alone,  or  'twill  be  the 
worse  for  you,"  answered  the  parish  clerk. 

"  I'll  leave  her  alone  when  she  leaves  my  mother 
alone,  and  not  sooner.  She  a  lying,  foul-minded  old 
baggage  —  not  to  be  trusted  in  a  respectable  house  — 
and  if  I  was  better  to  do,  I'd  have  the  law  of  her  for 
the  things  she's  said." 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  377 

"  You  talk  of  the  law,"  answered  Jack.  "  You 
might  just  so  well  talk  of  the  prophets.  One's  as 
rotten  as  t'other  nowadays.  The  law's  gone  that 
weak  that  a  man's  savings  can  be  taken  out  of  his 
pocket  by  the  first  thief  that  comes  along  with  an 
honest  face ;  and  him  powerless.  Five-and-thirty 
pound  —  that's  what  he  had  of  mine,  and  the  law 
looks  on  and  does  nought." 

"  Because  there's  nought  for  it  to  do,"  suggested 
Mr.  Elford.  "  The  law  can't  make  bricks  without 
straw " 

"Just  what  it  can  do  —  when  it's  writing  its  own 
bills  o'  costs,"  answered  Jack.  "  They'm  damn 
clever  at  that ;  but  let  a  rogue  rob  me  of  my  sav- 
ings and  the  law  don't  care  a  brass  farthing.  Why  ? 
Because  I'm  poor." 

"  Is  there  to  be  nought  declared  in  the  pound  ? " 
inquired  an  old  man  beside  the  fire.  "  He  had  eight, 
ten  of  mine,  and  I  was  hopeful  us  might  get  back  a 
little,  if  'twas  only  shillings." 

"  You'll  see  nothing  of  it,  gaffer,"  declared  Head. 
"  There  wasn't  much  more  than  enough  to  pay  for 
the  man's  cofiin.  And  the  tears  shed  at  his  grave  ! 
I  laugh  when  I  think  of  all  them  gulls,  and  the  par- 
sons, with  their  long  faces,  thinking  they  was  burying 
a  good  man  and  a  burning  light." 

"  A  burning  light  now,  if  he  wasn't  afore,"  said 
Gollop,  returning  to  his  favourite  theme. 

"  You're  a  mean  cur  at  heart,  Jack,"  burst  out  the 
dead  man's  son  to  Mr.  Head.  "With  all  your  noise 
about  justice  and  liberty  and  right  and  wrong,  none  on 
God's  earth  can  show  his  teeth  quicker  and  snarl  worse 
if  his  own  bone  be  took  away.  You  knowed  Nathan 
Baskerville  —  no  one  knowed  him  better  than  you. 
And  well  you  know  that  with  all  his  faults  and  foolish, 
generous  way  of  playing  with   his   money  and   other 


378  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

people's  —  well,  you  know  there  was  a  big  spirit  In  the 
man.  He  meant  terrible  kindly  always.  He  didn't 
feather  his  own  nest.  For  a  hundred  that  curse  him 
now,  there's  thousands  that  have  blessed  him  In  past 
years.  But  'tis  the  curses  come  home  to  roost  and 
foul  a  man's  grave ;  the  blessings  be  forgot." 

The  young  man's  eyes  shone  and  his  eloquence 
silenced  the  bar  for  a  moment. 

Jack  Head  stared. 

"'Tis  Mark  Baskervllle  speaking,"  he  said.  "  Even 
so  he  was  used  to  talk  !  But  I  didn't  know  you  was 
the  soft  sort  too,  Heathman.  What  was  Nat  to  you, 
or  you  to  Nat,  that  you  can  stand  up  for  him  and  talk 
this  nonsense  In  the  face  of  facts  .^  Where's  my  money  ? 
When  you  tell  me  that,  I'll  tell  you " 

"  Who  knows  whether  you'm  forgot  after  all.  Jack  ?  " 
interrupted  Joe  Voysey.  "  Everybody  ban't  ruined. 
There's  a  few  here  and  there  —  especially  the  awful 
poor  people  —  as  have  had  their  money  made  good." 

"  I  know  all  about  that,"  answered  Head  ;  "  'tis  that 
fool,  the  parson.  Masterman  have  no  more  Idea  of 
justice  than  any  other  church  minister,  and  he's  just 
picked  and  chosen  according  to  his  own  fancy,  and 
made  It  up  to  this  man  and  that  man  out  of  his  own 
riches." 

"  To  no  man  has  he  made  it  up,"  corrected  Gollop. 
"  'Tis  only  In  the  case  of  certain  needy  females  that 
he've  come  forward.  A  widow  here  and  there  have 
been  paid  back  in  full.  I  made  so  bold  as  to  ask 
Lawyer  Popham  about  It ;  but  he's  not  a  very  civil 
man,  and  he  fobbed  me  off  with  a  lawyer's  answer  that 
meant  nought." 

"  'Tis  well  knowed  to  be  Masterman,  however," 
said  Voysey. 

"  Yes ;  well  knowed  to  us  ;  but  not  to  the  general 
public.     Some  think  It's  the  lawyer  himself;  but  that's 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  379 

a  wild  saying.  Last  thing  he'd  do.  He'll  be  out  of 
pocket  as  it  is." 

At  this  juncture  was  presented  the  unusual  spectacle 
of  a  woman  in  the  bar  of  '  The  White  Thorn/  and 
Susan  Hacker  entered. 

She  was  known  to  several  present  and  men  liked 
her.  She  understood  the  sex,  and  could  give  as  good 
as  she  got.  She  expected  little  in  the  way  of  civility 
or  sense  from  them,  and  she  was  seldom  disappointed. 

"  Hullo  !  "  cried  Head.  "  Be  you  on  the  downward 
path  then,  Susan  ?  'Tis  your  old  man  driving  you  to 
drink  without  a  doubt !  " 

The  abundant  woman  pushed  Jack  out  of  her  way 
and  came  to  the  counter. 

"  Don't  you  pay  no  heed  to  that  there  sauce-box," 
she  said.  "  And  him  old  enough  and  ugly  enough  to 
know  better,  you'd  think.  A  drop  of  gin  hot,  please. 
I  be  finger-cold  and  I've  got  to  speed  home  yet." 

"  How's  '  the  Hawk  '  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Voysey.  "We 
all  thought  when  poor  old  Nathan  was  took  off  that 
he'd  come  forward  with  his  money  bags  —  knowing 
the  man,  didn't  we,  souls  ?  " 

This  excellent  jest  awakened  laughter  till  Susan 
stopped  it.  She  took  her  drink  to  the  fire,  loosed  a 
mangy  little  fur  tippet  from  her  great  shoulders  and 
warmed  her  feet  alternately. 

"A  funny  old  fool  you  are,  Joe — just  funny 
enough  to  make  other  fools  laugh.  And  why  should 
Humphrey  Baskerville  waste  his  money  on  a  lot  of 
silly  people?  Which  of  you  would  come  forward  and 
help  him  if  he  was  hard  up  ?  " 

"  I  would,"  said  Jack  Head.  "  With  my  opinions 
Fd  help  any  thrifty  person  let  in  by  this  dead  man  — 
if  I  could.  But  I  was  let  in  myself.  And  you're  in 
the  truth  to  call  us  fools,  for  so  we  were." 

"  It's   reason,   every  way,   that   your   master   might 


38o  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

think  of  his  brother's  good  name  and  right  the  wrong 
done  by  the  man  who  was  here  afore  me,"  declared 
Mr.  Elford  impartially. 

"  Why  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Hacker.  "  Why  do  you  say 
'tis  reason  ?  If  'tis  reason  for  him,  'tis  just  as  much 
reason  for  every  other  man  who  can  afford  to  mend  it." 

"That's  what  I  say,"  argued  Jack  Head,  but  none 
agreed  with  him. 

"  Ban't  our  business,  but  'tis  Humphrey  Basker- 
ville's,"  declared  the  publican.  "  The  dead  man  was 
his  own  brother  and  his  only  one.  For  the  credit  of 
the  family  he  ought  to  come  forward,  and  not  leave 
the  parson  and  other  outsiders  to  do  it." 

"  Because  your  brother  does  wrong,  'tis  no  business 
of  yours  to  right  the  wrong,"  answered  Mrs.  Hacker. 
"  Besides,  'tis  well  known  that  charity  begins  at  home." 

"  And  stops  there,"  suggested  Gollop.  "  No  doubt 
at  Hawk  House,  you  and  him  be  as  snug  as  beetles 
in  the  tree  bark,  while  other  people  don't  know  where 
to  turn  for  a  roof  to  cover  'em." 

"  They'd  have  poor  speed  if  they  was  to  turn  to  you, 
anyway,"  she  said.  "  'Tis  like  your  round-eyed,  silly 
impudence  to  speak  like  that  of  a  better  man  than  ever 
you  was  or  will  be,  or  know  how  to  be.  He  ban't 
bound  to  tell  you  where  he  spends  his  money,  I  be- 
lieve ;  and  if  you  was  half  as  good  a  man  —  but  there, 
what  can  you  expect  from  a  Gollop  but  a  grunt? 
You'm  a  poor  generation,  you  and  your  sister  —  God 
knows  which  is  the  worse." 

"  Bravo,  Susan  !  Have  another  drop  along  o'  me," 
cried  Heathman  Lintern,  and  she  agreed  to  do  so. 

"  What  do  you  know  and  what  don't  you  know  ^ " 
asked  Head  presently.  "  Be  your  old  party  going  to 
do  anything  or  nothing?  " 

"  I  don't  know.  But  this  I  do  know,  that  all  your 
wild  tales  down  here  about  his  money  be    silly   lies. 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  381 

We  live  hard  enough,  I  can  promise  that,  whatever 
you  may  think.  If  every  man  here  spent  his  money 
so  wise  as  Humphrey  Baskerville,  you  wouldn't  all  be 
boozing  in  this  bar  now,  but  along  with  your  lawful 
wives  and  families,  helping  the  poor  women  to  find  a 
bit  of  pleasure  in  life.  But  I  know  you  ;  you  get  a 
shipload  of  brats  and  leave  their  mothers  to  do  all  the 
horrid  work  of  'em,  while  you  come  in  here  every 
night  like  lords,  and  soak  and  twaddle  and  waste  your 
money  and  put  the  world  right,  then  go  home  not  fit 
company  for  a  dog " 

"  Steady  on  —  no  preaching  here  —  rule  of  the  bar," 
said  Mr.  Voysey.  "You  think  we're  all  blanks  be- 
cause you  drew  a  blank,  Susan.  Yes,  a  blank  you 
drew,  though  you  might  have  had  me  in  the  early 
forties." 

"You!  I'd  make  a  better  man  than  you  with  a 
dozen  pea-sticks,"  retorted  Susan.  "  And  I  didn't 
draw  a  blank,  I  drawed  Hacker,  who'd  be  here  now 
teaching  you  chaps  to  drink,  if  the  Lord  had  spared 
him.  You  can't  even  drink  now  —  so  feeble  have  you 
growed.  Hacker,  with  all  his  faults,  was  a  fine  man  ; 
and  so's  Humphrey  Baskerville  in  his  way." 

"  Talk  on  ;  but  talk  to  the  purpose,  Susan.  What 
have  he  done  ^  That's  the  question.  You  ain't  going 
to  tell  me  he's  done  nought,"  suggested  Mr.  Head. 

"  I  ain't  going  to  tell  you  nothing  at  all,  because  I 
don't  know  nothing  at  all.  He  wouldn't  ax  me  how 
to  spend  his  money  —  nor  you  neither." 

"Tell  us  who  he's  helping  —  if  anybody,"  persisted 
the  man.  "  How  is  it  none  haven't  handed  me  back 
my  money?  You  can  mention  —  if  you've  got  the 
pluck  to  do  it  —  that  I  want  my  bit  back  so  well  as 
t'others  ;  and  mine  be  quite  as  much  to  me  as  Ned 
Baskerville's  thousands  was  to  him." 

**  Charity  begins  at   home,"  repeated   Susan,   "and 


382  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

I'll  lay  you  my  hat,  though  the  fog's  took  the  feather 
out  of  curl,  that  if  he  does  anything,  'twill  be  for  his 
own  first.      He's  that  sort,  I  believe." 

"  They  people  at  Cadworthy  ?  " 

"Yes.  Not  that  I  think  he'll  do  aught;  but  if  he 
does,  'twill  be  there.  Mrs.  Baskerville  be  taking  very 
unkindly  to  the  thought  of  leaving.  She've  lived  here 
all  her  married  life  and  brought  all  her  childer  there. 
But  she've  got  to  go.  They're  all  ofFafter  Lady  Day. 
Too  much  rent  wanted  by  the  new  owner." 

"  Same  with  us,"  said  Heathman.  "  These  here 
men,  who  have  got  the  places  on  their  hands  now,  'pear 
to  think  a  Dartmoor  farm's  a  gold  mine.  Me  and  my 
mother  clear  out  too." 

Mrs.  Hacker  drank  again. 

"And  after  this  glass,  one  of  you  chaps  will  have  to 
see  me  up  over,"  she  said. 

"We'll  all  come,  if  you'll  promise  another  drink  at 
t'other  end,"  declared  Heathman;  but  Susan  turned  to 
Jack  Head. 

"You'd  best  to  come,  Jack,"  she  declared. 

He  exhibited  indifference,  but  she  pressed  him  and 
he  agreed. 

"If  I've  got  a  man  to  look  after  me,  there's  no 
hurry,"  she  concluded.     "  I'm  in  for  a  wigging  as  'tis." 

The  easy  soul  stopped  on  until  closing  time,  and 
then  Mr.  Head  fulfilled  his  promise  and  walked  home- 
ward beside  her  through  a  foggy  night.  She  rested 
repeatedly  while  climbing  the  hill  to  the  Moor,  and  she 
talked  without  ceasing.  Susan  was  exhilarated  and  lo- 
quacious as  the  result  of  too  much  to  drink.  Head, 
however,  bore  with  her  and  acquired  a  most  startling 
and  unexpected  piece  of  information. 

He  mentioned  the  attitude  of  Heathman  Lintern 
and  his  fiery  championship  of  the  dead. 

"  I  thought  he'd  have  come  across  and  hit  me  down. 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  383 

because  I  told  the  naked  truth  about  the  man.  And 
he  denied  that  his  mother  was  the  better  by  a  penny 
when  Nathan  died.  But  how  about  it  when  he  was 
ahve?" 

"Truth's  truth,"  answered  Susan.  "You  might 
have  knocked  me  down  with  a  feather  when  —  but 
there,  what  am  I  saying?" 

He  smelt  a  secret  and  angled  for  it. 

"Of  course,  you're  like  one  of  the  Baskerville  family 
yourself,  and  I've  no  right  to  ask  you  things;  only  such 
a  man  as  me  with  a  credit  for  sense  be  different  to  the 
talking  sort.  Truth's  truth,  as  you  say,  and  the  truth 
will  out.  But  Eliza  Gollop  —  of  course  she  knows 
nothing.     She  couldn't  keep  a  secret  like  you  or  me." 

Mrs.  Hacker  stood  still  again  and  breathed  hard  in 
the  darkness.  Her  tongue  itched  to  tell  a  tremendous 
thing  known  to  her;  but  her  muddled  senses  fought 
against  this  impropriety. 

"Two  can  often  keep  a  secret  that  pretty  well  busts 
one,"  said  Mr.  Head  with  craft.  He  believed  that 
Humphrey  Baskerville  was  paying  some  of  his  brother's 
debts;  and  since  this  procedure  might  reach  to  him,  he 
felt  the  keenest  interest  in  it.  Mrs.  Lintern  did  not 
concern  him.  He  had  merely  mentioned  her.  But 
Priscilla  was  the  subject  which  filled  Susan's  mind  to 
the  exclusion  of  all  lesser  things,  and  she  throbbed  to 
impart  her  knowledge.  No  temptation  to  confide  in 
another  had  forced  itself  upon  her  until  the  present; 
yet  with  wits  loosened  and  honour  fogged  by  drink,  she 
now  yearned  to  speak.  At  any  other  moment  such  a 
desire  must  have  been  silenced,  by  reason  of  the  con- 
fession of  personal  wrongdoing  that  it  entailed.  Now, 
however,  she  did  not  remember  that.  She  was  only 
lusting  to  tell,  and  quite  forgot  how  she  had  learned. 
Thus,  while  Head,  to  gain  private  ends,  endeavoured 
to  find  whether  Mr.  Baskerville  was  paying  his  brother's 


384  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

debts,  Susan  supposed  that  his  mind  ran  upon  quite 
another  matter:  the  relations  between  Priscilla  Lintern 
and  Humphrey's  dead  brother. 

Mrs.  Hacker  knew  the  truth.  She  had  acquired  it 
in  the  crudest  manner,  by  Hstening  at  the  door  during 
an  interview  between  Nathan's  mistress  and  her  master. 
This  tremendous  information  had  burnt  her  soul  to 
misery  ever  since ;  but  a  thousand  reasons  for  keeping 
the  secret  existed.  Her  own  good  name  was  involved 
as  much  as  another's.  She  could  not  whisper  a  word 
for  her  credit's  sake;  and  a  cause  that  weighed  far 
heavier  with  her  was  the  credit  of  Eliza  Gollop. 

Eliza  had  guessed  darkly  at  what  Susan  now  knew; 
but  as  a  result  of  her  subterranean  hints,  Eliza  had 
suffered  in  the  public  esteem,  for  few  believed  her. 

To  confirm  Eliza  and  ratify  her  implications  was 
quite  the  last  thing  that  Mrs.  Hacker  would  have  de- 
sired to  do;  and  yet  such  was  the  magic  sleight  of 
alcohol  to  masquerade  in  the  shape  of  reason,  justice, 
and  right — such  also  its  potency  to  conceal  danger — 
that  now  this  muddled  woman  fell.  She  was  intelligent 
enough  to  make  Jack  promise  on  Bible  oaths  that  he 
would  keep  her  secret;  and  then  she  told  him  the  last 
thing  that  he  expected  to  hear. 

With  acute  interest  he  waited  to  know  Humphrey's 
future  intentions  respecting  his  brother's  creditors;  in- 
stead he  listened  to  widely  different  facts. 

"  I'll  tell  you  if  you'll  swear  by  the  Book  to  keep  it 
to  yourself.  I'll  be  the  better  for  telling  it.  'Tis  too 
large  a  thing  for  one  woman  —  there  —  all  that  gin  — 
I  know  'tis  that  have  loosed  my  tongue  even  while  I'm 
speaking.  And  yet,  why  not?  You're  honest.  I'm 
sure  I  can't  tell  what  I  ought  to  do.  You  might  say 
'twas  no  business  of  mine,  and  I  don't  wish  one  of  'em 
any  harm —  not  for  the  wide  world  do  I." 

"  I'll  swear  to  keep  quiet  enough,  my  dear  woman. 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  385 

And  'tis  your  sense,  not  your  thimble  of  liquor,  makes 
you  want  to  talk  to  me.  If  not  me,  who  ?  I'm  the  sort 
that  knows  how  to  keep  a  secret,  like  the  grave  knows 
how  to  keep  its  dead.  I'm  a  friend  to  you  and  Mr. 
Baskerville  both  —  his  greatest  friend,  you  might  say." 

"  In  a  word,  'tis  natural  that  young  Lintern  —  you 
swear,  Jack — on  your  Bible  you  swear  that  you  won't 
squeak  ?  "  ^ 

"  I  ain't  got  one ;  but  I'll  swear  on  yours.  You 
can  trust  me." 

"'Twas  natural  as  Lintern  got  vexed  down  there  then, 
and  you  was  lucky  not  to  feel  the  weight  of  his  fist. 
For  why  —  for  why?  He's  Nathan's  son!  Gospel 
truth.  They'm  all  his  :  Cora,  t'other  girl,  and  Heath- 
man.  The  mother  of  'em  told  my  master  in  so  many 
words  ;  and  I  heard  her  tell  him.  I  was  just  going  into 
the  room,  but  stopped  at  the  door  for  some  reason,  and, 
before  I  could  get  out  of  earshot,  I'd  catched  it.    There ! " 

"  Say  you  was  eavesdropping  and  have  done  with 
it,"  said  Mr.  Head.  He  took  this  startling  news 
very  quietly,  and  advised  Susan  to  do  the  like. 

"  The  less  you  think  about  it,  the  better.  What's 
done  be  done.  We  don't  know  none  of  the  rights  of 
it,  and  I'm  not  the  sort  to  blame  anybody  —  woman 
or  man  —  for  their  private  actions.  'Tis  only  Na- 
than's public  actions  I  jumped  on  him  for,  and  if 
Heathman  was  twice  his  son,  I'd  not  fear  to  speak  if 
'twas  a  matter  of  justice." 

"  I  didn't  ought  to  have  told  you,  but  my  mind's  a 
sieve  if  there's  a  drop  of  gin  in  my  stomach.  I  had 
to  let  it  go  to-night.  If  I  hadn't  told  you  what  I 
knowed,  so  like  as  not  I'd  have  told  Mr.  Baskerville 
hisself  when  I  got  back  ;  and  then  'twould  have  corned 
out  that  I'd  listened  at  the  door  —  for  I  did,  God  for- 
give me." 

1  Squeak  —  break  silence. 
2C 


386  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

Susan  became  lachrymose,  but  Jack  renewed  his 
promises  and  left  her  tolerably  collected.  The  confes- 
sion had  eased  her  mind,  calmed  its  excitement,  and 
silenced  her  tongue  also. 

Jack  tried  to  learn  more  of  the  thing  that  interested 
him  personally,  but  upon  that  subject  she  knew  noth- 
ing. She  believed  the  general  report :  that  Mr. 
Masterman,  by  secret  understanding  with  the  lawyer, 
was  relieving  the  poorest  of  Nathan's  creditors  ;  and 
she  inclined  to  the  opinion  that  her  master  had  no 
hand  in  this  philanthropy. 

They  parted  at  the  garden  wicket  of  Susan's  home, 
and  Mr.  Head  left  her  there ;  but  not  before  she  had 
made  him  swear  again  with  all  solemnity  to  keep  the 
secret. 


CHAPTER  V 

AS  Humphrey  Baskerville  had  pointed  out  to  his 
nephew  Ned,  disaster  usually  hits  the  weak  harder 
than  the  strong,  and  the  lazy  man  suffers  more 
at  sudden  reverses  than  his  neighbour,  who  can  earn  a 
living,  come  what  trouble  may. 

Rupert  and  his  wife  were  prepared  to  seek  a  new 
home,  and  Milly,  at  the  bottom  of  her  heart,  suffered 
less  from  these  tribulations  than  any  of  her  husband's 
relations.  The  blow  had  robbed  him  of  nothing,  since 
he  possessed  nothing.  To  work  to  win  Cadworthy  was 
no  longer  possible,  but  he  might  do  as  well  and  save 
money  as  steadily  elsewhere ;  and  the  change  in  their 
lives  for  Milly  meant  something  worth  having.  In  her 
heart  was  a  secret  wish  that  her  coming  child  might  be 
born  in  her  own  home.  As  for  her  husband  he  now 
waited  his  time,  and  did  not  immediately  seek  work, 
because  Humphrey  Baskerville  directed  delay.  His 
reason  was  not  given,  nor  would  he  commit  himself  to 
any  promise  ;  but  he  offered  the  advice,  and  Rupert 
took  it. 

Mrs.  Baskerville's  grief  at  leaving  her  home  proved 
excessive.  She  belonged  to  the  easy  sort  of  people  who 
are  glad  to  trust  their  affairs  in  any  capable  control, 
and  she  suffered  now  at  this  sudden  catastrophe,  even 
as  Ned  suffered.  She  had  very  little  money,  and  was 
constrained  to  look  to  her  sons  for  sustenance.  It  was 
proposed  that  she  and  May  should  find  a  cottage  at 
Shaugh  ;  but  to  display  her  poverty  daily  before  eyes 
that  had  seen  her  prosperity  was  not  good  to  her.  She 
found  it  hard  to  decide,  and  finally  hoped  to  continue 
life  in  a  more  distant  hamlet.     All  was  still  in  abey- 

387 


388  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

ance,  and  the  spring  had  come.  Until  Ned's  future 
theatre  of  toil  was  certain,  his  mother  would  not  settle 
anything.  She  trusted  that  he  might  win  a  respectable 
post,  but  employment  did  not  offer.  Hester's  young- 
est son  Humphrey  had  been  provided  for  by  a  friend, 
and  he  was  now  working  with  Saul  Luscombe  at 
Trowlesworthy. 

Then  came  a  date  within  six  weeks  of  the  family's 
departure.  The  packing  was  advanced,  and  still  noth- 
ing had  been  quite  determined.  Ned  was  anxious  and 
troubled  ;  Rupert  waited  for  his  uncle  to  speak.  He 
knew  of  good  work  at  Cornwood,  and  it  was  decided 
that  his  mother  and  May  should  also  move  to  a  cot- 
tage in  that  churchtown,  unless  Ned  achieved  any  sort 
of  work  within  the  next  few  weeks.  Then  his  plans 
might  help  to  determine  their  own. 

At  this  juncture,  unexpectedly  on  a  March  evening, 
came  their  kinsman  from  Hawk  House,  and  Rupert 
met  him  at  the  outer  gate. 

"  Is  your  mother  here  ?  "  asked  the  rider,  and  when 
he  heard  that  the  family  was  within  —  save  Ned,  who 
stayed  at  Tavistock  on  his  quest  —  he  dismounted  and 
came  among  them. 

A  litter  and  disorder  marked  the  house.  There  were 
packing-cases  in  every  room  ;  but  less  than  a  moiety  of 
Hester's  goods  would  leave  her  home.  She  must  dwell 
in  a  small  cottage  henceforth,  and  her  furniture,  with 
much  of  her  china  and  other  precious  things,  was  pres- 
ently destined  to  be  sold.  The  period  of  her  greatest 
grief  had  long  passed ;  she  had  faced  the  future  with 
resignation  for  many  months,  and  returned  to  her  usual 
placidity.  She  and  her  daughter  could  even  plan  their 
little  possessions  in  a  new  cottage,  and  smile  together 
again.  They  had  fitted  their  minds  to  the  changed 
condition  ;  they  had  calculated  the  probable  result  of 
the  sale,  and  Mrs.  Baskerville,  thrown  by  these  large 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  389 

reverses  from  her  former  easy  and  tranquil  optimism, 
had  fallen  upon  the  opppsite  extreme. 

She  now  looked  for  no  amelioration  of  the  future, 
foresaw  no  possibility  of  adequate  work  for  Ned,  and 
was  as  dumb  as  a  wounded  horse  or  cow,  even  at  the 
tragical  suggestion  of  her  son's  enlistment.  This  he 
had  openly  discussed,  but  finding  that  none  exhibited 
any  horror  before  the  possibility,  soon  dropped  it  again. 

To  these  people  came  Mr.  Baskerville  —  small, 
grey,  saturnine.  His  eyes  were  causing  him  some 
trouble,  and  their  rims  were  grown  red.  They  thought 
in  secret  that  he  had  never  looked  uglier,  and  he  de- 
clared openly  that  he  had  seldom  felt  worse. 

"  'Tis  the  season  of  the  year  that  always  troubles 
me,"  he  said.  "  Gout,  gravel,  rheumatism,  lumbagy 
—  all  at  me  together.  Nature  is  a  usurer,  Hester,  as 
you  may  live  to  find  out  yet,  for  all  you  keep  so 
healthy.  She  bankrupts  three  parts  of  the  men  you 
meet,  long  afore  they  pay  back  the  pinch  of  dust  they 
have  borrowed  from  her.  The  rate  of  interest  on  life 
runs  too  high,  and  that's  a  fact,  even  though  you  be 
as  thrifty  of  your  powers  as  you  please,  and  a  miser 
of  your  vital  parts,  as  I  have  always  been." 

"  Your  eyes  are  inflamed  seemingly,"  said  his  sister- 
in-law.  "  Vivian's  went  the  same  once,  but  doctor 
soon  cured  'em." 

They  sat  in  the  kitchen  and  he  spoke  to  May. 

"  If  you'll  hurry  tea  and  brew  me  a  strong  cup, 
I'll  thank  you.  I  feel  just  as  if  'twould  do  me  a  deal 
of  good." 

She  obeyed  at  once,  and  Humphrey,  exhibiting  a 
most  unusual  garrulity  and  egotism,  continued  to  dis- 
cuss himself 

"For  all  my  carcase  be  under  the  weather,  my  mind 
is  pretty  clear  for  me.  Things  be  going  well,  I'm  glad 
to  say,  and  you  might  almost  think  I However, 


390  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

no  matter  for  that.  Perhaps  it  ban't  the  minute  to 
expect  you  to  take  pleasure  at  any  other's  prosperity. 
There's  nothing  like  health,  after  all.  You'll  find 
yourself  more  peaceful  now,  Hester,  now  you  know 
the  worst  of  it  ?  " 

"  Peaceful  enough,"  she  said.  "  I  don't  blame  my- 
self, and  'tis  vain  to  blame  the  dead.  Master  trusted 
his  brother  Nathan,  like  you  trust  spring  to  bring  the 
leaves.  Therefore  it  was  right  and  proper  that  I 
should  do  the  same.  'Twas  all  put  in  his  hands  when 
Vivian  died.  Even  if  1  would  have,  I  wasn't  allowed 
to  do  anything.  But,  of  course,  I  trusted  Nathan  too. 
Who  didn't?" 

"  I  didn't,  never  —  Rupert  will  bear  me  out  in  that. 
I  never  trusted  him,  though  I  envied  the  whole-hearted 
respect  and  regard  the  world  paid  him.  We  envy  in 
another  what's  denied  to  ourselves  —  even  faults  some- 
times. Yet  I'm  pretty  cheerful  here  and  there — for 
me.  Have  you  heard  any  more  said  about  his  death  ' 
and   my  hand  in  it?  " 

"A  lot,"  answered  Mrs.  Baskerville.  "And  most 
understanding  creatures  have  quite  come  round  to  see- 
ing your  side.  Only  a  man  here  and  there  holds  out 
that  you  were  wrong." 

"  I  may  tell  you  that  the  reverend  Masterman 
couldn't  find  no  argument  against  it.  He  came  to  see 
me  not  long  since.  He  wouldn't  be  kept  to  the  case 
in  point,  but  argued  against  the  principle  at  large. 
When  I  pinned  him  to  Nathan  at  last,  he  said,  though 
reluctantly,  that  he  believed  he  would  have  done  no 
less  for  his  own  brother.  That's  a  pretty  good  one 
to  me  —  eh  ?  " 

"  My  Uncle  Luscombe  thinks  you  did  the  proper 
thing,"  declared  Milly. 

Presently  May  called  them  to  the  table  and  handed 
Humphrey  his  tea. 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  391 

He  thanked  her. 

"No  sugar,"  he  said,  "and  you  ought  not  to  take 
none  neither,  May.  Trouble  haven't  made  you  grow 
no  narrower  at  the  waist  seemingly." 

The  girl  tried  to  smile,  and  her  family  stared.  Jo- 
cosity in  this  man  was  an  exhibition  almost  unparalleled. 
If  he  ever  laughed  it  was  bitterly  against  the  order  of 
things  ;  yet  now  he  jested  genially.  The  result  was 
somewhat  painful,  and  none  concealed  an  emotion  of 
discomfort  and  restraint. 

The  old  man  perceived  their  surprise  and  returned 
into  himself  a  little. 

"  You'll  wonder  how  I  come  to  talk  so  much  about 
my  own  affairs,  perhaps  ?  'Tisn't  often  that  I  do,  I 
believe.  Well,  let's  drop  'em  and  come  to  yours. 
Have  you  found  work,  Rupert  ? " 

"  I  can,  when  you  give  the  word.  There's  Martin 
at  Cornwood  wants  me,  and  mother  can  come  there. 
We've  seen  two  houses,  either  of  which  would  suit 
her  and  May  very  well.  One,  near  the  church,  she 
likes  best.  There's  a  cottage  that  will  fit  me  and 
Milly  not  far  off." 

"  Why  go  and  have  an  expensive  move  when  you 
can  live  at  Shaugh  Prior?" 

"  I've  got  my  feelings,"  answered  the  widow  rather 
warmly.     "  You  can't  expect  me  to  go  there." 

Mr.  Baskerville  asked  another  question. 

"  So  much  for  you  all,  then.     And  what  of  Ned  .''  " 

"  At  Tavistock,  wearing  out  his  shoe-leather  trying 
to  find  work." 

"  If  he's  only  wearing  out  shoe-leather,  no  harm's 
done." 

"  He  told  us  what  you  offered  last  year,  and  I'm 
sure  'twas  over  and  above  what  many  men  would  have 
done,"  declared  Ned's  mother. 

"  I  was  safe  to  offer  it,"  he  answered.     "  'Tis  only 


392  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

to  say  I'll  double  nought.  He's  not  worth  a  box  of 
matches  a  week  to  any  man." 

"  They  very  near  took  him  on  at  the  riding-school 
when  he  offered  to  go  there." 

"  But  not  quite." 

"  And  that  gave  him  the  idea  to  'list  in  the  horse 
soldiers.  He  knows  all  about  it,  along  of  being  in  the 
yeomanry." 

"  To  enlist  ?  Well,  soldiering's  man's  work  by  all 
accounts,  though  I  hold  'tis  devil's  work  myself — just 
the  last  mischief  Satan  finds  for  idle  hands  to  do." 

"It  would  knock  sense  into  Ned,  all  the  same," 
argued  Rupert.  "  The  discipline  of  it  would  be  good 
for  him,  and  he  might  rise." 

"  But  he's  not  done  it,  you  say  ?  " 

"  No,"  answered  Mrs.  Baskerville.  "  He's  not 
done  it.  I've  suffered  so  much,  for  my  part,  that 
when  he  broke  the  dreadful  thing  upon  me,  I  hadn't  a 
tear  left  to  shed.  And  the  calm  way  I  took  it  rather 
disappointed  him,  poor  fellow.  He  had  a  right  to 
expect  to  see  me  and  May,  if  not  Rupert,  terrible 
stricken  at  such  a  thought ;  but  we've  been  through 
such  a  lot  a'ready  that  we  couldn't  for  the  life  of  us 
take  on  about  it.  I'm  sure  we  both  cried  rivers  — 
cried  ourselves  dry,  you  might  say  —  when  Cora  Lin- 
tern  threw  him  over ;  but  that  was  the  last  straw. 
Anything  more  happening  leaves  us  dazed  and 
stupid,  like  a  sheep  as  watches  another  sheep  being 
killed.     We  can't  suffer  no  more." 

"  Even  when  Ned  went  out  rather  vexed  because 
we  took  it  so  calm,  and  said  he'd  end  his  life,  we  didn't 
do  anything  —  did  we,  mother?"  asked  May. 

"  No,"  answered  Hester.  "  We  was  past  doing  or 
caring  then  — even  for  Ned.  Besides,  he's  offered  to 
make  a  hole  in  the  water  so  terrible  often,  poor  dear 
fellow.     'Twas  a  case  where  I  felt  the  Lord  would  look 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  393 

after  His  own,  Ned  may  do  some  useful  thing  in  the 
world  yet.  He's  been  very  brave  over  this  business  — 
brave  as  a  lion.  'Tis  nought  to  me.  I'm  old,  and 
shan't  be  here  much  longer.  But  for  him  and  May 
'twas  a  terrible  come-along-of-it." 

"Ned's  a  zany,  and  ever  will  be,"  declared  Hum- 
phrey. "  Rupert,  here,  is  different,  and  never  was 
afraid  of  work.  Fortune  didn't  fall  to  him,  and  yet 
'twas  his  good  fortune  to  have  to  face  bad  fortune,  if 
you  understand  that.  Money,  till  you  have  learned 
the  use  of  it,  be  a  gun  in  a  fool's  hand  ;  and  success  in 
any  shape's  the  same.  If  it  comes  afore  you  know  the 
value  and  power  of  it,  'tis  a  curse  and  a  danger.  It 
makes  you  look  awry  at  life,  and  carry  yourself  too 
proud,  and  cometh  to  harm  and  bitterness.  I  know, 
none  so  well." 

They  did  not  answer.  Then  May  rose  and  began 
to  collect  the  tea  things. 

Humphrey  looked  round  the  dismantled  room,  and 
his  eyes  rested  on  the  naked  mantelshelf. 

"  Where  are  all  the  joanies  .''  "  ^  he  asked.  "  You 
used  to  have  two  big  china  figures  up  there." 

"  Some  are  packed,  and  some  will  go  into  the  sale. 
They  two  you  mean  are  worth  money,  I'm  told,"  ex- 
plained Mrs.  Baskerville. 

Then  the  visitor  said  a  thing  that  much  astonished 
her. 

"  'Twill  give  you  trouble  now,"  he  remarked,  "  but 
'twill  save  trouble  in  the  end.  Let  me  see  them  put 
back  again." 

Milly  looked  at  May  in  wonder.  To  argue  the 
matter  was  her  first  thought ;  but  May  acted. 

"They  be  only  in  the  next  room,  with  other  things 
to  be  sold,"  she  said.  "  You  can  see  them  again, 
uncle,  if  you  mind  to." 

1  Joanies  —  ornaments  of  glass  or  china. 


394  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

Rupert  spoke  while  she  was  from  the  room. 

"  Why  don't  you  buy  'em,  uncle  ?  They'd  look 
fine  at  your  place." 

"  Put  'em  back  on  the  shelf,"  answered  Mr.  Bas- 
kerville.  "  And,  what's  more,  you  may,  or  may  not,  be 
glad  to  know  they  can  stop  there.  'Tis  a  matter  of  no 
account  at  all,  and  I  won't  have  no  talk  about  it,  but 
you  can  feel  yourself  free  to  stay,  Hester,  if  you'd  rather 
not  make  a  change  at  your  time  of  life.  You  must 
settle  it  with  Rupert  and  your  darter.  In  a  word,  I've 
had  a  tell  with  the  owner  of  the  farm  and  he's  agree- 
able." 

"  I  know  he's  agreeable,"  answered  Humphrey's 
nephew,  "  but  I'm  not  agreeable  to  his  rent." 

"  If  you'd  keep  your  mouth  shut  till  you'd  heard 
me,  'twould  be  better.  I  was  going  to  say  that  Mr. 
Westcott  of  Cann  Quarries,  who  foreclosed  on  the 
mortgage  of  this  place  when  your  uncle  died — Mr. 
Westcott  is  agreeable  to  let  me  have  Cadworthy ;  and, 
in  a  word,  Cadworthy 's  mine." 

May  came  in  at  this  moment  with  the  old  china 
figures.  She  entered  a  profound  silence,  and  returned 
the  puppets  to  their  old  places  on  the  mantelpiece.  It 
seemed  that  this  act  carried  with  it  support  and  con- 
firmation of  the  startling  thing  that  Hester  Baskerville 
had  just  heard. 

Humphrey  spoke  again. 

"  Past  candle-teening,  and  snow  offering  from  the 
north.  I  must  be  gone.  Fetch  up  my  pony,  Rupert, 
and  then  you  can  travel  a  bit  of  the  way  back  along 
with  me." 

His  nephew  was  glad  to  be  gone.  A  highly  emo- 
tional spirit  began  to  charge  the  air.  Hester  had 
spoken  to  May,  and  her  daughter,  grown  white  and 
round-eyed,  was  trying  to  speak. 

"  You  mean  —  you  mean  we  can  all  stop,  and 
Rupert  can  go  on  here  ? "  she  said  at  last. 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  395 

"  If  he  thinks  it  good  enough.  He'd  bought  back 
a  bit  of  the  place  a'ready,  as  he  thought,  from  Ned. 
I  can  go  into  all  that  with  him.  And  for  you  women 
• — well,  you're  used  to  the  rounds  of  Cadworthy,  and 
I'm  used  to  your  being  here.  You've  done  nought 
but  trust  a  weak  man.  I  don't  want  all  the  blue  ^  to 
be  off  the  plum  for  you  yet.  But  I  waited  till  now, 
because  you'll  see,  looking  back,  that  you'll  be  none 
the  worse  for  smarting  a  few  months.  I've  smarted 
all  my  life,  and  I'm  not  very  much  the  worse,  I  sup- 
pose. So  now  I'll  be  gone,  and  you  can  unpack  when 
you  please." 

They  could  not  instantly  grasp  this  great  reversal 
of  fortune. 

"  Be  you  sure  ?  "  asked  his  niece.  "  Oh,  uncle,  be 
you  sure  ?  " 

"  Sure  and  sure,  and  double  sure.  A  very  good 
investment,  with  a  man  like  your  brother  Rupert  to 
work  it  for  me.  But  let  him  see  the  rent's  paid  on 
the  nail." 

He  rose,  and  Mrs.  Baskerville  tried  to  rise  also,  but 
her  legs  refused  to  carry  her. 

"  Get  my  salts,"  she  said  to  Milly ;  then  she  spoke 
to  her  brother-in-law. 

"  I'm  a  bit  dashed  at  such  news,"  she  began.  "  It 
have  made  my  bones  go  to  a  jelly.  'Tis  almost  too 
much  at  my  age.  The  old  can't  stand  joy  like  the 
young  ;  they'm  better  tuned  to  face  trouble.  But  to 
stop  here  —  to  stop  here  —  'tis  like  coming  back  after 
I'd  thought  I  was  gone.  I  can't  believe  'tis  true.  My 
God,  I'd  said  'good-bye'  to  it  all.    The  worst  was  over." 

"No,  it  wasn't,"  answered  Humphrey.  "You 
think  'twas  ;  but  I  know  better.  The  worst  would 
have  come  the  day  the  cart  waited,  and  you  got  up  and 
drove  off.     Now  cheer  yourself  and  drink  a  drop  of 

1  Blue  —  bloom. 


396  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

spirits.  And  don't  expect  Rupert  home  till  late.  I'll 
take  him  back  with  me  to  supper." 

He  offered  his  hand,  and  the  woman  kissed  it. 
Whereupon  he  uttered  a  sound  of  irritation,  looked 
wildly  at  her,  and  glared  at  his  fingers  as  though  there 
had  been  blood  upon  them  instead  of  tears.  Milly 
stopped  with  Mrs.  Baskerville ;  May  went  to  the  door 
with  her  uncle  and  helped  him  into  his  coat. 

"  I   can't  say  nothing,"  she  whispered.     "  It  won't 

bear  talking  about  —  only  —  only If  you  knew 

how  I  loved  mother " 

"  Be  quiet,"  he  answered.  "  Don't  you  play  the 
fool  too.  I  let  you  fret  to  get  your  fat  down  a  bit  — 
that  was  the  main  reason,  I  do  believe ;  and  now  you'll 
only  get  stouter  than  ever,  of  course.  Go  back  to  her, 
and  let's  have  no  nonsense ;  and,  mind,  when  I  come 
over  again,  that  my  house  is  tidy.  I  never  see  such  a 
Jakes  of  a  mess  as  you've  got  it  in." 

He  went  out  and  met  Rupert  at  the  gate. 

"  You'd  best  to  come  back  with  me,"  he  said.  "  I've 
told  them  you'll  sup  at  Hawk  House.  'Twill  give  'em 
time  to  calm  down.  It  takes  nought  to  fluster  a 
woman." 

"  '  Nought ' !     You  call  this  '  nought '  !  " 

Rupert  helped  Mr.  Baskerville  on  to  his  pony  and 
walked  beside  him.  It  was  now  nearly  dark,  and  a  few 
flakes  of  snow  already  fell. 

"  Winter  have  waited  for  March,"  said  Humphrey; 
"  and  I  waited  for  March.  You  might  ask  why  for  I 
let  'em  have  all  this  trouble.  'Twas  done  for  their 
good.  They'll  rate  what  they've  got  all  the  higher 
now  that  it  had  slipped  from  them ;  and  so  will  you." 

Rupert  said  nothing. 

"  Yes,"  repeated  his  uncle ;  "  winter  waited  for  the 
new  year,  and  so  did  I.  And  now  'tis  for  you  to  say 
whether  you'll  stop  at  my  farm  or  no." 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  •  397 

"Of course,  I'll  stop," 

"  No  silly  promises,  mind.  This  is  business.  You 
needn't  be  thanking  me ;  and  in  justice  we've  got  to 
think  of  that  fool,  your  elder  brother.  But  be  it  as  it 
will,  'tis  Hester's  home  for  her  time." 

"  I'll  stop  so  long  as  my  mother  lives." 

"  And  a  bit  after,  I  hope,  if  you  don't  want  to 
quarrel  with  me.  But  I  shall  be  dead  myself,  come 
to  think  of  it.  What  shall  I  forget  next  ?  So  much 
for  that.     We'll  go  into  figures  after  supper." 

"  I  know  you  don't  want  no  thanks  nor  nothing  of 
that  sort,"  said  Rupert ;  "  but  you  know  me  pretty 
well,  and  you  know  what  I  feel  upon  it.  'Tis  a 
masterpiece  of  goodness  in  you  to  do  such  a  thing." 

"  Say  no  more.  I've  killed  two  birds  with  one 
stone,  as  my  crafty  manner  is.  That's  all.  'Tis  a 
very  good  farm,  and  I've  got  it  cheap ;  and  I've  got 
you  cheap  —  thanks  to  your  mother.  I  benefit  most 
—  my  usual  way  in  business." 

They  passed  along,  and  the  snow  silenced  the  foot- 
fall of  horse  and  man.  Near  Hawk  House  came  the 
sudden  elfin  cry  of  a  screech-owl  from  the  darkness 
of  the  woods. 

"  Hush  !  "  said  Humphrey,  drawing  up.  "  List  to 
that.  I'm  glad  we  heard  it.  A  keeper  down  along 
boasted  to  me  a  week  ago  that  he'd  shot  every  owl  for 
a  mile  round ;  but  there's  a  brave  bird  there  yet, 
looking  round  for  his  supper." 

The  owl  cried  again. 

"  'Tis  a  sound  I'm  very  much  addicted  to,"  ex- 
plained Mr.  Baskerville.  "And  likewise  I'm  glad 
to  hear  the  noise  of  they  kris-hawks  sporting,  and  the 
bark  of  a  fox.  They  be  brave  things  that  know  no 
fear,  and  go  cheerful  through  a  world  of  enemies. 
I  respect  'em." 

"  You  never  kill  a  snake,  'tis  said." 


398  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

"  Not  I  —  I  never  kill  nought.  A  snake's  to  be 
pitied,  not  killed.  He'll  meddle  with  none  as  don't 
meddle  with  him.  I've  watched  'em  scores  an'  scores 
o'  times.  They  be  only  humble  worms  that  go  upon 
their  bellies  dirt  low,  but  they  gaze  upward  for  ever 
with  their  wonnerful  eyes.  Belike  Satan  looked  thus 
when  they  flinged  him  out  of  heaven." 

"  You  beat  me,"  said  Rupert.  "  You  can  always 
find  excuses  for  varmints,  never  for  men." 

His  uncle  grunted. 

"  Most  men  are  varmints,"  he  answered. 


CHAPTER   VI 

THE  effect  of  his  financial  tribulation  on  Jack  Head 
was  not  good.  Whatever  might  have  been 
of  Humphrey  Baskerville's  theories  as  to  the 
value  worldly  misfortune  and  the  tonic  property  of  bad 
luck  upon  character,  in  this  man's  case  the  disappearance 
of  his  savings  deranged  his  usual  common-sense,  and 
indicated  that  his  rational  outlook  was  not  based  upon 
sure  foundations.  From  the  trumpery  standpoint  of 
his  personal  welfare,  it  seemed,  after  all,  that  he  ap- 
praised life ;  and  upon  his  loss  a  native  acerbity  and 
intolerance  increased.  He  grew  murose,  his  quality 
of  humour  failed  him,  and  his  mind,  deprived  of  this 
cathartic  and  salutary  sense,  grew  stagnant.  At  his 
best  Jack  was  never  famed  for  a  delicate  choice  of  time 
or  place  when  pushing  his  opinions.  Propriety  in  this 
connection  he  took  pleasure  in  disregarding.  He 
flouted  convention,  and  loved  best  to  burst  his  bomb- 
shells where  they  were  most  certain  to  horrify  and 
anger.  Following  the  manner  of  foolish  propagandists, 
he  seldom  selected  the  psychological  moment  for  his 
onslaughts  ;  nor  did  he  perceive  that  half  the  battle  in 
these  cases  may  depend  upon  nice  choice  of  oppor- 
tunity. 

There  came  an  evening,  some  time  after  he  had 
learnt  the  secret  of  the  Lintern  family,  when  Head,  re- 
turning to  Shaugh  Prior,  fell  in  with  Cora,  who  walked 
upon  the  same  road.  He  had  never  liked  her,  and 
now  remembered  certain  aggressive  remarks  recently 
cast  at  him  by  her  brother.  The  man  was  going 
slower  than  the  woman,  and   had   not  meant  to   take 

399 


400  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

any  notice  of  her,  but  the  somewhat  supercilious  nod 
she  gave  him  touched  his  spleen,  and  he  quickened  his 
pace  and  went  along  beside  her. 

"  Hold  on,"  he  said,  "  I'll  have  a  tell  with  you. 
'Tisn't  often  you  hear  sense,  I  believe." 

Cora,  for  once  in  a  mood  wholly  seraphic  over 
private  affairs,  showed  patience. 

"  Fm  in  a  bit  of  a  hurry,  but  I've  always  got  time 
to  hear  sense,"  she  said. 

Thus  unexpectedly  met,  Mr.  Head  found  himself 
with  nothing  to  say.  One  familiar  complaint  at  that 
time  running  against  Cora  for  the  moment  he  forgot. 
Therefore  he  fell  back  upon  her  brother. 

"You  might  tell  Heathman  I  was  a  good  bit  crossed 
at  the  way  he  spoke  to  me  two  nights  agone.  I've  as 
much  right  to  my  opinion  as  him,  and  if  I  say  that  the 
late  Nathan  Baskerville  was  no  better  than  he  should 
be,  and  not  the  straight.  God-fearing  man  he  made  us 
think  —  well,  I'm  only  saying  what  everybody  knows." 

"  That's  true,"  she  said.  "  Certainly  a  good  many 
people  know  that." 

"  Exactly  so.  Then  why  for  does  he  jump  down 
my  throat  as  if  I  was  backbiting  the  dead  ?  Truth's 
truth,  and  it  ban't  a  crime  to  tell  the  truth  about  a  man 
after  he's  dead,  any  more  than  it  be  while  he's  alive." 

"  More  it  is.  Very  often  you  don't  know  the  truth 
till  a  man's  dead.  My  brother's  a  bit  soft.  All  the 
same,  you  must  speak  of  people  as  you  find  them. 
And  Heathman  had  no  quarrel  with  Mr.  Baskerville, 
though  most  sensible  people  had  seemingly.  He  was 
a  tricky  man,  and  nobody  can  pretend  he  was  honest 
or  straight.      He's  left  a  deal  of  misery  behind  him." 

The  relationship  between  Cora  and  Nathan  Basker- 
ville suddenly  flashed  into  Jack's  memory.  Her  re- 
mark told  him  another  fact :  he  judged  from  it  that  she 
could  not  be  aware  of  the  truth.     It  seemed  improb- 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  401 

able  that  Cora  could  utter  such  a  sentiment  if  she  knew 
that  she  spoke  of  her  father.  Then  he  remembered 
how  Heathman  certainly  knew  the  truth,  and  he 
assumed  that  Cora  must  also  know  it.  She  was,  there- 
fore, revealing  her  true  thoughts,  secure  in  the  belief 
that,  since  her  companion  would  be  ignorant  of  the 
relationship  between  her  and  the  dead,  she  need  pre- 
tend to  no  conventional  regard  before  him.  At  another 
time  Jack  Head  might  have  approved  her  frankness, 
but  to-day  he  designed  to  quarrel,  and  chose  to  be 
angered  at  this  unfilial  spirit.  Upon  that  subject  his 
mouth  was  sealed,  but  there  returned  to  him  the  recol- 
lection of  her  last  achievement.  He  reminded  her  of 
it  and  rated  her  bitterly. 

"  Very  well  for  you  to  talk  of  dishonest  men  and 
crooked  dealings,"  he  retorted.  "You,  that  don't 
know  the  meaning  of  a  straight  deed  —  you  that  flung 
over  one  chap  and  made  him  hang  himself,  and  now 
have  flung  over  another.  You  may  flounce  and  flirt 
and  walk  quick,  but  I'll  walk  quick  too,  and  I  tell 
you  you're  no  better  than  a  giglet  wench  — 
heartless,  greedy,  good  for  nought.  You  chuck  Ned 
Baskerville  after  keeping  him  on  the  hooks  for  years. 
And  why  ?  Because  he  came  down  in  the  world 
with  a  run,  and  you  knew  that  you'd  have  to  work 
if  you  took  him,  and  couldn't  wear  fine  feathers  and 
ape  the  beastly  people  who  drive  about  in  carriages." 

Her  lips  tightened  and  she  flashed  at  him. 

"You  stupid  fool  !  "  she  said.  "  You,  of  all  others,  to 
blame  me  —  you,  who  were  never  tired  of  bawling  out 
what  a  worthless  thing  the  man  was.  You  ought  to  be 
the  first  to  say  he's  properly  punished,  and  the  first  to 
say  I'm  doing  the  right  thing;  and  so  you  would,  but 
just  because  you've  lost  a  few  dirty  pounds,  you  go 
yelping  and  snarling  at  everybody.  You're  so  mighty 
clever  that  perhaps  you'll  tell  me  why  I  should  marry 

2D 


402  THE  THREE   BROTHERS 

a  pauper,  who  can't  find  work  far  or  near,  because  he's 
never  learnt  how  to  work.  Why  must  I  keep  in  with 
a  man  like  that,  and  get  children  for  him,  and  kill  my- 
self for  him,  and  go  on  the  parish  at  the  end  ?  You're 
so  fond  of  putting  everybody  right,  perhaps  you'll  put 
me  right." 

The  other  was  not  prepared  for  this  vigorous  counter- 
attack. 

"  Very  well  for  you  to  storm,"  he  said ;  "  but  you 
only  do  it  to  hide  your  own  cowardly  nature.  You 
pretended  you  was  in  love  with  him,  and  took  his 
gifts,  and  made  him  think  you  meant  to  marry  him, 
and  stick  up  for  him  for  better,  for  worse  ;  but  far  from 
it.  You  was  only  in  love  with  his  cash,  and  hadn't  got 
no  use  for  the  man.  I'm  not  saying  you  would  do 
well  to  marry  him  for  the  minute ;  but  to  chuck  him 
when  he's  down " 

"You're  a  one-sided  idiot  —  like  most  other  men," 
she  answered.  "  'Tis  so  easy  for  you  frosty  creatures, 
with  no  more  feeling  than  a  frog,  to  talk  about  '  love  ' 
and  '  waiting.'  There,  you  make  a  sane  woman  wild  ! 
Waiting,  waiting  —  and  what  becomes  o^  me  while  I'm 
waiting  ?  I'm  a  lovely  woman,  you  old  fool,  don't  you 
understand  what  that  means?  Waiting  —  waiting  — 
and  will  time  wait  ?  Look  at  the  crows'-feet  coming. 
Look  at  the  line  betwixt  my  eyebrows  and  the  lines 
from  my  nose,  each  side,  to  the  corners  of  my  mouth. 
Will  they  wait  ?  No,  curse  'em,  they  get  deeper  and 
deeper,  and  no  rubbing  will  rub  'em  out,  and  no  wait- 
ing will  make  them  lighter.  So  easy  to  bleat  about 
'  faithfulness  '  and  '  patience  '  if  you're  ugly  as  a  gorilla 
and  flat  as  a  pancake.  I'm  lovely,  and  I'm  a  pauper, 
and  I've  got  nought  but  loveliness  to  stand  between 
me  and  a  rotten  life  and  a  rotten  death  in  the  work- 
house. So  there  it  is.  Don't  preach  no  more  of  your 
cant  to  me,  for  I  won't  have  it." 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS 


40J 


She  was  furious ;  the  good  things  in  her  mind  had 
slipped  for  the  moment  away.  While  uttering  this 
tirade  she  stood  still,  and  Mr.  Head  did  the  like.  He 
saw  her  argument  perfectly  well.  He  perceived  that 
she  had  reason  on  her  side,  but  her  impatience  and 
scorn  angered  him.  Her  main  position  he  could  not 
shake,  but  he  turned  upon  a  minor  issue  and  made 
feeble  retort. 

His  answer  failed  dismally  in  every  way.  Of  its 
smallness  and  weakness  she  took  instant  advantage ; 
and,  further,  it  reminded  her  of  the  satisfactory  event 
that  Mr.  Head  had  for  the  moment  banished  from  her 
mind. 

"  Hard  words  won't  make  the  case  better  for  you," 
he  began.  "  And  to  be  well-looking  outside  is  nought 
if  you're  damned  ugly  inside  ;  and  that's  what  you  be  ; 
and  that's  what  everybody  very  well  knows  by  now." 

She  sneered  at  him. 

"Parson's  talk  —  and  poor  at  that.  If  you  want  to 
snuffle  that  sort  of  trash  you'd  better  ask  Mr.  Master- 
man  to  teach  you  how.  You,  of  all  folk  —  so  wise  and 
such  a  book-reader !  What's  the  good  of  telling  that 
to  me  ?  'Tis  the  outside  we  see,  and  the  outside  we 
judge  by ;  and,  for  the  rest,  you'll  do  well  to  mind 
your  own  business,  and  not  presume  to  lecture  your 
betters." 

"  Very  grand  !  Very  high  and  mighty,  to  be  sure. 
That's  how  you  talked  to  Humphrey  Baskerville,  I 
suppose,  and  got  a  flea  in  your  ear  for  your  pains. 
And  I'll  give  you  another.  'Tis  the  inside  that  mat- 
ters, and  not  the  out,  though  your  empty  mind  thinks 
different.  And  mark  this  :  you'll  go  begging  now  till 
you're  an  old  woman ;  and  'twon't  be  long  before 
you'll  have  your  age  dashed  in  your  face  by  every 
female  you  anger.  Yes,  you'll  go  begging  now  — 
none  will   have  you  —  none  will  take  you  with  your 


404  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

record  behind  you.  An  old  maid  you'll  be,  and  an 
old  maid  you'll  deserve  to  be.  You  just  chew  the 
end  of  that." 

"  What  a  beast  you  are  !  "  she  retorted.  "  What  a 
low-minded,  cowardly  creature  to  strike  a  woman  so. 
But  you  spoke  too  soon  as  usual.  The  likes  of  you 
to  dare  to  say  that !  You,  that  don't  know  so  much 
about  women  as  you  do  about  rabbits  !  " 

"  I  know  enough  about  men,  anyhow,  and  I  know 
no  man  will  ever  look  at  you  again." 

"  Liar !  A  man  asked  me  to  marry  him  months 
ago!  But  little  did  1  think  you'd  be  the  first  to  know 
it  when  we  decided  that  it  should  be  known.  He 
asked,  and  he  was  a  man  worth  calling  one,  and  I  took 
him,  so  you  may  just  swallow  your  own  lies  again  and 
choke  yourself  with  'em.  You're  terrible  fond  of  say- 
ing everybody's  a  fool  —  well,  'twill  take  you  all  your 
time  to  find  a  bigger  one  than  yourself  after  to-day. 
And  don't  you  never  speak  to  me  again,  because  I 
won't  have  it.  Like  your  cheek  —  a  common  labour- 
ing man  !  —  ever  to  have  spoke  to  me  at  all.  And  if 
you  do  again,  I'll  tell  Mr.  Timothy  Waite  to  put  his 
whip  round  your  shoulders,  so  now  then  !  " 

"Him!" 

"Yes,  '  him  ' ;  and  now  you  can  go  further  off,  and 
keep  further  off  in  future." 

She  hastened  forward  to  carry  her  news  to  other 
ears,  and  Jack  Head  stood  still  until  she  was  out  of 
sight.  He  felt  exceedingly  angry,  but  his  anger  swiftly 
diminished,  and  he  even  found  it  possible  to  laugh  at 
himself  before  he  reached  Shaugh  Prior.  He  knew 
right  well  that  he  must  look  a  fool,  but  the  knowledge 
did  not  increase  his  liking  for  Cora  Lintern.  He  re- 
flected on  what  he  had  heard,  and  saw  her  making  fun 
of  him  in  many  quarters.  He  even  debated  a  revenge, 
but  no  way  offered.     Once  he  speculated  as  to  what 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  405 

her  betrothed  would  say  if  he  knew  the  truth  of  Cora's 
paternity;  but,  to  do  him  justice,  not  the  faintest 
thought  of  reveahng  the  secret  tempted  Jack. 

"  Leave  it,  and  she'll  most  likely  wreck  herself  with 
him,"  he  thought.  "  Waite's  a  sharp  chap,  and  not 
easily  hoodwinked.  So  like  as  not,  when  he's  seen  a 
bit  of  her  mean  soul  he'll  think  twice  Vvhile  there's 
time." 

Mr.  Head  began  to  reflect  again  upon  his  own 
affairs,  and,  finding  himself  at  the  vicarage  gate,  went 
in  and  asked  for  Dennis  Masterman.  The  rumour 
persisted,  and  even  grew,  that  Dennis  was  paying  back 
certain  losses  incurred  at  Nathan  Baskerville's  death 
among  the  poorest  of  the  community.  The  fact  had 
wounded  Mr.  Head's  sense  of  justice,  and  he  was  de- 
termined to  throve  some  light  on  Masterman's  foggy 
philanthropy.  The  vicar  happened  to  be  in,  and  soon 
Mr.  Head  appeared  before  him.  Their  interview 
lasted  exactly  five  minutes,  and  Jack  was  in  the  street 
again.  He  explained  his  theory  at  some  length,  and 
gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  to  pick  and  choose  the  cases 
was  not  defensible.  He  then  explained  his  own  loss, 
and  invited  Mr.  Masterman  to  say  whether  a  more 
deserving  and  unfortunate  man  might  be  found  within 
the  quarters  of  the  parish.  The  clergyman  listened 
patiently  and  answered  with  brevity. 

"  I  hear  some  of  the  people  are  being  helped,  but 
personally  the  donor  is  not  known  to  me.  I  have 
nothing  to  do  with  it.  He,  or  she  —  probably  a  lady, 
for  they  do  that  sort  of  thing  oftenest — is  not  respon- 
sible to  anybody  ;  but,  as  far  as  I  have  heard,  a  very 
good  choice  has  been  made  among  the  worst  sufferers. 
As  to  your  case,  Jack,  it  isn't  such  a  very  hard  one. 
You  are  strong  and  hale  still,  and  you've  got  nobody 
to  think  of  but  yourself.  We  know,  at  any  rate,  that 
Mr.  Nathan   Baskerville  did  a  lot  of  good  with  other 


4o6  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

people's  money.  Isn't  that  what  you  Socialists  are  all 
wanting  to  do?  But  I  dare  say  this  misfortune  has 
modified  your  views  a  little  here  and  there.  I've 
never  yet  met  a  man  with  fifty  pounds  in  the  bank 
who  was  what  I  call  a  Socialist.  Good-evening  to 
you,  Jack." 


CHAPTER   VII 

ALICE  MASTERMAN,  the  vicar's  sister,  came 
in  to  speak  with  Dennis  after  Jack  Head   had 
gone.      He  was  composing  a  sermon,  but  set  it 
aside  at  once,  for  the  tone  of  her  voice  declared  that 
she  could  brook  no  denial. 

"It's  Voysey,"  she  said.  "I'm  sorry  to  trouble 
you  about  him  again,  but  he's  got  bronchitis." 

"  Well,  send  him  some  soup  or  something.  Has 
that  last  dozen  of  parish  port  all  gone  yet  ?  " 

"  I  was  thinking  of  another  side  to  it,"  she  confessed. 
"  Don't  you  think  this  might  be  an  excellent  oppor- 
tunity to  get  rid  of  him  ?  " 

"  Isn't  that  rather  hitting  a  man  when  he's  down  ?  " 

"  Well,  it's  perfectly  certain  you'll  never  hit  him 
when  he's  up  again.  If  you  only  realised  how  the 
man  robs  us — indirectly,  I  mean.  He  doesn't  actually 
steal,  I  suppose,  but  look  at  the  seed  and  the  thousand 
and  one  things  he's  always  wanting  in  the  garden,  and 
nothing  to  show  but  weeds." 

"  You  must  be  fair,  Alice.  There  are  miles  of  large, 
fat  cabbages  out  there." 

"  Cabbages,  yes ;  and  when  I  almost  go  down  on 
my  knees  for  one,  he  says  they're  not  ready  and 
mustn't  be  touched.  He  caught  the  cook  getting  a 
sprig  of  parsley  yesterday,  and  was  most  insolent.  She 
says  that  if  he  opens  his  mouth  to  her  again  she'll 
give  warning ;  and  she  means  it.  And  even  you 
know  that  cooks  arc  a  thousand  times  harder  to  get 
than  gardeners." 

Dennis  sighed  and  looked  at  his  manuscript. 

407 


4o8  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

"  Funny  you  should  say  these  things  —  I'm  preach- 
ing about  the  fruits  of  the  earth  next  Sunday." 

"The  man's  maddening  —  always  ready  with  an  ex- 
cuse. The  garden  must  be  swarming  with  every  blight 
and  horror  that  was  ever  known,  according  to  him. 
And  somehow  I  always  feel  he's  being  impertinent  all 
the  time  he's  speaking  to  me,  though  there's  nothing 
you  can  catch  hold  of.  Now  it's  mice,  and  now  it's 
birds,  and  now  it's  canker  in  the  air,  or  some  nonsense  ; 
and  now  it's  the  east  wind,  and  now  it's  the  west  wind 
—  I'm  sick  of  it ;  and  if  you  ask  for  an  onion  he  re- 
minds you,  with  quite  an  injured  air,  that  he  took 
three  into  the  house  last  week.  There's  a  wretched 
cauliflower  we  had  ages  ago,  and  he's  always  talking 
about  it  still,  as  if  it  had  been  a  pineapple  at  least." 

"  I  know  he's  tiresome.  I  tell  you  what  —  wait  till 
he's  back,  and  then  I'll  give  him  a  serious  talking  to." 

"  Only  two  days  ago  I  met  him  lumbering  up  with 
that  ridiculous  basket  he  always  will  carry  —  a  huge 
thing,  large  enough  to  hold  a  sack  of  potatoes.  And 
in  the  bottom  were  three  ridiculous  little  lettuces  from 
the  frame,  about  as  long  as  your  thumb.  I  remon- 
strated, and,  of  course,  he  was  ready.  '  I  know  to  a 
leaf  what  his  reverence  eats,'  he  said ;  *  and  if  that 
woman  in  the  kitchen,  miscalled  a  cook,  don't  serve 
'em  up  proper,  that's  not  my  fault.'  He  didn't  seem 
to  think  I  ever  ate  anything  out  of  the  garden." 

"  Old  scoundrel !  I'll  talk  to  him  severely.  I've 
had  a  rod  in  pickle  ever  since  last  year." 

Dennis  laughed  suddenly,  but  his  sister  was  in  no 
laughing  mood. 

"  I  really  can't  see  the  funny  side,"  she  declared. 

"  Of  course  not.  There  is  none.  He's  a  fraud ; 
but  I  remembered  what  Travers  said  last  year  —  you 
recollect  ?  The  thrips  and  bug  and  all  sorts  of  things 
got  into  the  vines,  and  we  asked  Travers   what  was 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS 


409 


the  matter,  and  he  explained  what  a  shameful  muddle 
Voysey  had  made.  Then,  when  Joe  had  gone  chat- 
tering off,  saying  the  grapes  were  worth  five  shillings 
a  pound  in  open  market,  and  that  they'd  only  lost 
their  bloom  because  we  kept  fingering  them,  Travers 
said  he  looked  as  if  he  was  infested  with  thrips  and 
mealy  bug  himself.  I  shall  always  laugh  when  1  think 
of  that  —  it  was  so  jolly  true." 

"  I  hate  a  man  who  never  owns  that  he  is  wrong ; 
and  I  do  wish  you'd  get  rid  of  him.  It's  only  fair  to 
mie.  I  have  but  few  pleasures,  and  the  garden  is  one 
of  them.  He  tramples  and  tears,  and  if  you  venture 
to  ask  him  to  tidy  —  well,  you  know  what  happens. 
The  next  morning  the  garden  looks  as  though  there 
had  been  a  plague  of  locusts  in  it  —  everything  has 
gone." 

"  He  ought  to  retire ;  but  he's  saved  nothing  worth 
mentioning,  poor  old  fool !  " 

"  That's  his  affair." 

"  It  ought  to  be ;  but  you  know  well  enough  that 
improvidence  all  round  is  my  affair.  We  are  faced 
with  it  everywhere.  Head  has  just  been  in  here. 
There's  a  rumour  about  the  poor  people  that  the 
innkeeper  swindled.  He  took  their  savings,  and 
there's  nobody  to  pay  them  back  now  he's  gone. 
But  it  seems  that  here  and  there  those  hit  hardest  — 
mostly  women  —  have  had  their  money  again.  Not 
your  work,  I  hope,  Alice  ?  But  I  know  what  you  do 
with  your  cash.  Voysey  was  talking  about  it  a  little 
time  ago,  and  I  blamed  him  for  not  having  saved 
some  money  himself  by  this  time.  He  said,  *  Better 
spend  what  you  earn  on  yourself  than  give  it  to  some- 
body else  to  save  for  you.'  The  misfortunes  of  the 
people  seemed  to  have  pleased  him  a  good  deal. 
*  We'm  mostly  in  the  same  box  now,'  he  said ;  '  but 
I   had  the  rare  sense  to  spend  my  brass  myself.     I've 


4IO 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS 


had  the  value  of  it  in  beer  and  tobacco,  if  no  other 

» >> 
way. 

"  Detestable  old  man !  And  Gollop's  no  better. 
Anybody  but  you  would  have  got  rid  of  them  both 
years  and  years  ago." 

"They  must  retire  soon  —  they  simply  must. 
They're  the  two  eldest  men  in  the  parish." 

"  And,  of  course,  you'll  pension  them,  or  some  such 
nonsense." 

"  Indeed,  I  shall  do  no  such  thing.  Perhaps  this 
is  the  end  of  Voysey.  Fie  may  see  the  sense  of  retir- 
ing now." 

"Not  he.  He'll  be  ill  for  six  weeks,  and  lie  very 
snug  and  comfortable  drawing  his  money  at  home ; 
then,  when  the  weather  gets  to  suit  him,  he'll  crawl 
out  again.  And  everything  that  goes  wrong  all 
through  next  year  will  be  owing  to  his  having  been 
laid  by." 

"  I'll  talk  to  him,"  repeated  her  brother.  "  I'll 
talk  to  him  and  Gollop  together.  Gollop  has  pretty 
well  exhausted  my  patience,  I  assure  you." 

Miss  Masterman  left  him  with  little  hope,  and  he 
resumed  his  sermon  on  the  fruits  of  the  earth. 

But  next  Sunday  the  unexpected  happened,  and 
Thomas  Gollop,  even  in  the  clergyman's  opinion, 
exceeded  the  bounds  of  decency  by  a  scandalous 
omission. 

It  happened  thus.  The  sexton,  going  his  rounds 
before  morning  service,  was  confronted  with  an  un- 
familiar object  in  the  churchyard.  A  tombstone  had 
sprung  up  above  the  dust  of  Nathan  Baskerville. 
He  rubbed  his  eyes  with  astonishment,  because  the 
time  for  a  memorial  was  not  yet,  and  Thomas  must 
first  have  heard  of  it  and  made  ready  before  its  erec- 
tion. Here,  however,  stood  what  appeared  to  be  a 
square  slate,  similar  in  design  to  those  about  it ;  but 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  411 

investigation  proved  that  an  imitation  stone  had  been 
set  up,  and  upon  the  boards,  painted  to  resemble 
slate,  was  inscribed  a  ribald  obituary  notice  of  the 
dead.  It  scoffed  at  his  pretensions,  stated  the  worst 
that  could  be  said  against  him,  and  concluded  with  a 
scurrility  in  verse  that  consigned  him  to  the  devil. 

Now,  by  virtue  of  his  office,  apart  from  the  fact  of 
being  a  responsible  man  enlisted  on  the  side  of  all 
that  was  seemly  and  decorous,  Mr.  Gollop  should 
have  removed  this  offence  as  quickly  as  possible  be- 
fore any  eye  could  mark  it.  Thus  he  would  have 
disappointed  those  of  the  baser  sort  who  had  placed 
it  there  by  night,  and  arrested  an  outrage  before  any 
harm  was  done  by  it.  But,  instead,  he  studied  the 
inscription  with  the  liveliest  interest,  and  found  him- 
self much  in  sympathy  therewith. 

Here  was  the  world's  frank  opinion  on  Nathan 
Baskerville.  The  innkeeper  deserved  such  a  censure, 
and  Thomas  saw  no  particular  reason  why  he  should 
interfere.  He  was  alone,  and  none  had  observed 
him.  Therefore  he  shuffled  off  and,  rather  than 
fetch  his  spade  and  barrow  to  dig  up  this  calumny 
and  remove  it,  left  the  board  for  others  to  discover. 

This  they  did  before  the  bells  began  to  ring,  and 
when  Dennis  Masterman  entered  the  churchyard,  on 
his  way  to  the  vestry,  he  was  arrested  by  the  sight  of 
a  considerable  crowd  collected  about  the  Baskerville 
graves.  The  people  were  trampling  over  the  mounds, 
and  standing  up  on  the  monuments  to  get  a  better  view. 
On  the  outskirt  of  the  gathering  was  Ben  North  in  a 
state  of  great  excitement;  but  single-handed  the  po- 
liceman found  himself  unable  to  cope  with  the  crowd. 
A  violent  quarrel  was  proceeding  at  the  centre  of  this 
human  ring,  and  Masterman  heard  Gollop's  voice  and 
that  of  Heathman  Lintern.  Dennis  ordered  some  yell- 
ing choir-boys  down  off  a  flat  tomb,  then  pushed  his 


412 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS 


way  through  his  congregation.  Parties  had  been  di- 
vided as  to  the  propriety  of  the  new  monument,  and 
the  scene  rather  resembled  that  in  the  past,  when  Na- 
than Baskerville  was  buried. 

As  the  vicar  arrived,  Heathman  Lintern,  who  had 
lost  his  self-control,  was  just  knocking  Mr.  Gollop 
backwards  into  the  arms  of  his  sister.  The  man  and 
woman  fell  together,  and,  with  cries  and  hisses,  others 
turned  on  Heathman.  Then  a  force  rallied  to  the 
rescue.  Sunday  hats  were  hurled  off  and  trampled 
into  the  grass  ;  Sunday  coats  were  torn  ;  Sunday  collars 
were  fouled.  Not  until  half  a  dozen  men,  still  fighting, 
had  been  thrust  out  of  the  churchyard,  was  Dennis 
able  to  learn  the  truth.  Then  he  examined  the  cause 
of  the  riot  and  listened  to  Lintern. 

The  young  man  was  bloody  and  breathless,  but 
he  gasped  out  his  tale.  A  dozen  people  were  already 
inspecting  the  new  gravestone  when  Heathman  passed 
the  church  on  his  way  to  chapel  with  his  mother  and 
sisters.  He  left  them  to  see  the  cause  of  interest,  and, 
discovering  it,  ordered  Gollop  instantly  to  remove  it. 
This  the  sexton  declined  to  do  on  the  ground  that  it 
was  Sunday.  Thereupon,  fetching  tools,  Heathman 
himself  prepared  to  dig  up  the  monument.  But  he 
was  prevented.  Many  of  the  people  approved  of  the 
joke  and  decreed  that  the  board  must  stand.  They 
arrested  Heathman  in  his  efforts  to  remove  it.  Then 
others  took  his  side  and  endeavoured  to  drag  down  the 
monument. 

Having  heard  both  Lintern  and  Gollop,  the  clergy- 
man read  the  mock  inscription. 

"  D'you  mean  to  say  that  you  refuse  to  remove  this 
outrageous  thing  ?  "  he  asked  the  sexton  ;  but  Thomas 
was  in  no  mood  for  further  reprimand.  He  had 
suffered  a  good  deal  in  credit  and  temper.  Now  he 
mopped  a  bleeding  nose  and  was  insolent. 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  413 

"Yes,  I  do;  and  I  won't  break  the  Fourth  Com- 
mandment for  you  or  fifty  parsons.  Who  the  mischief 
be  you  to  tell  me  to  labour  on  the  Lord's  Day,  I 
should  like  to  know  ?  You'll  bid  me  covet  my  neigh- 
bour's ass  and  take  my  neighbour's  wife  next,  perhaps  ? 
And,  when  all's  said,  this  writing  be  true  and  a  lesson 
to  the  parish.  Let  'em  have  the  truth  for  once, 
though  it  do  turn  their  tender  stomachs," 

"  Get  out  of  the  churchyard,  you  old  blackguard  !  " 
cried  Heathman.  "  You're  a  disgrace  to  any  persua- 
sion, and  you  did  ought  to  be  hounded  out  of  a  decent 
village." 

"  Leave  Gollop  to  me,  Lintern.  Now  lend  a  hand 
here,  a  few  of  you;  get  this  infamous  thing  away  and 
destroyed  before  anybody  else  sees  it.  And  the  rest 
go  into  church  at  once.  Put  on  your  surplices  quick, 
you  boys  ;  and  you,  Jenkins,  tell  Miss  Masterman 
to  play  another  voluntary." 

Dennis  issued  his  orders  and  then  helped  to  dig  up 
this  outrage  among  the  tombs.  Thomas  Gollop  and 
his  sister  departed  together.  Ben  North,  Lintern,  and 
another  assisted  Mr.  Masterman. 

Then  came  Humphrey  Baskerville  upon  his  way 
to  church,  and,  despite  the  entreaty  of  the  young 
clergyman  that  he  would  not  read  the  thing  set  up 
over  Nathan's  grave,  insisted  on  doing  so. 

"  I  hear  in  the  street  there's  been  a  row  about  a 
tombstone  to  my  brother.  Who  put  it  there  ?  'Tis 
too  soon  by  half.  I  shall  lift  a  stone  to  the  man  when 
the  proper  time  comes,"  he  said. 

"It  isn't  a  stone,  it's  an  unseemly  insult  —  an  out- 
rage. Not  the  work  of  Shaugh  men,  I  hope.  I  shall 
investigate  the  thing  to  the  bottom,"  answered  Dennis. 

"  Let  me  see.     Stay  your  hand,  Lintern." 

The  old  man  put  on  his  glasses  deliberately,  and 
read  the  evil  words. 


414  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

"  Tear  it  down,"  he  said.  "  That  ban't  all  the 
truth  about  the  man,  and  half  the  truth  is  none. 
Quick,  away  with  it !  There's  my  sister-in-law  from 
Cadworthy  coming  into  the  gate." 

The  burlesque  tombstone  was  hurried  away,  and 
Masterman  went  into  the  vestry.  Others  entered 
church,  and  Heathman  at  last  found  himself  alone. 
The  bells  stopped,  the  organ  ceased  to  grunt,  and  the 
service  proceeded ;  but  young  Lintern  was  only  con- 
cerned with  his  own  labours.  He  ransacked  Mr. 
Gollop's  tool-shed  adjoining  the  vestry.  It  was 
locked,  but  he  broke  it  open,  and,  finding  a  hatchet 
there,  proceeded  to  make  splinters  of  the  offending 
inscription.  He  chopped  and  chopped  until  his  usual 
equitable  humour  returned  to  him.  Then,  the  work 
completed,  he  returned  to  his  father's  grave  and  re- 
paired the  broken  mound.  He  v/as  engaged  upon 
this  task  to  the  murmur  of  the  psalms,  when  Jack 
Head    approached  and  bade  him  '  good-morning.' 

"  A  pretty  up-store,  I  hear.  And  you  in  the  midst 
of  it  — eh?" 

"  I  was,  and  I'd  do  the  same  for  any  chap  that  did 
such  a  beastly  thing.  If  I  thought  you  had  any  hand 
in  it.  Jack " 

The  other  remembered  that  the  son  of  the  dead  was 
speaking  to  him. 

"  Not  me,"  he  answered.  "  I  have  a  pretty  big 
grudge  against  Nathan  Baskerville  that  was,  and  I 
won't  deny  it;  but  this  here  —  insults  on  his  tomb  — 
'tis  no  better  than  to  kick  the  dead.  Besides,  what's 
the  use  ?  It  won't  right  the  wrong,  or  put  my  money 
back  in  my  pocket.  How  did  it  go — the  words,  I 
mean  ? " 

"  I've  forgot  'em,"  answered  Heathman.  "  Least 
said,  soonest  mended,  and  if  it  don't  do  one  thing,  and 
that  is  get  Gollop  the  sack,  I  shall  be  a  bit  astonished." 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  415 

He  laughed. 

"  You  should  'a'  seen  the  old  monkey  just  now  ! 
He  was  the  first  to  mark  this  job,  and  he  let  it  stand 
for  all  to  see,  and  was  glad  they  should  see  it  —  shame 
to  him." 

"  Wrote  it  himself  so  like  as  not." 

"  Hadn't  the  wit  to.  But  he  left  it,  and  he  was 
well  pleased  at  it.  And  then,  when  I  ordered  him  as 
sexton  to  take  it  down,  he  wouldn't,  and  so  I  lost  my 
head  and  gave  him  a  tap  on  the  ribs,  and  over  he  went 
into  his  sister's  arms,  as  was  standing  screeching  like  a 
poll-parrot  just  behind  him.  Both  dropped ;  then 
Tom  Sparkes  hit  me  in  the  mouth  ;  and  so  we  went 
on  very  lively  till  Mr.  Masterman  came." 

"  Wouldn't  have  missed  it  for  money,"  said  Jack. 
"  But  just  my  luck  to  be  t'other  side  the  village  at 
such  a  moment." 

He  sat  down  on  a  sepulchre  and  filled  his  pipe. 
He  knew  well  why  Heathman  had  thrown  himself  so 
fiercely  into  this  quarrel,  and  he  admired  him  for  it. 
The  sight  of  the  young  man  reminded  him  of  his  sister. 

"  So  your  Cora  is  trying  a  third,  she  tells  me  ? " 

"  Yes  ;  'tis  Tim  Waite  this  time,"  answered  Cora's 
brother.  "  I  shouldn't  envy  him  much  —  or  any  man 
who  had  to  live  his  life  aloncr  with  her." 

"  You're  right  there  :  no  heart  —  that's  what  was 
left  out  when  she  was  a-making.  She  told  me  the 
news  a  bit  ago,  just  when  I  was  giving  her  a  rap 
over  the  knuckles  on  account  of  that  other  fool,  Ned 
Baskerville.  And  she  got  the  best  of  the  argument  — 
I'll  allow  that.  In  fact,  you  might  say  she  scored  off 
me  proper,  for  I  told  her  that  no  decent  chap  would 
ever  look  at  her  again,  and  what  does  she  answer  ? 
Why,  that  Tim  Waite's  took  her." 

"  Yes,  'tis  so.  He  and  me  was  talking  a  bit  ago. 
He'll  rule  her." 


41 6  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

"  But  I  got  it  back  on  Cora,"  continued  Mr.  Head. 
"  I'm  not  the  sort  to  be  beat  in  argument  and  forget 
it.  Not  I  !  I'll  wait,  if  need  be,  for  a  month  of  Sun- 
days afore  I  make  my  answer ;  but  I  always  laugh 
last,  and  none  don't  ever  get  the  whip-hand  of  me  for 
long.  And  last  week  I  caught  up  with  her  again,  as 
we  was  travelling  by  the  same  road,  and  I  gave  her 
hell's  delights,  and  told  her  the  ugly  truth  about  her- 
self till  she  could  have  strangled  me  if  she'd  been 
strong  enough." 

"  I  know  you  did.  She  came  home  in  a  pretty 
tantara  —  blue  with  temper ;  and  she's  going  to  tell 
Waite  about  it.  But  don't  you  sing  small.  Jack ; 
don't  you  let  Timothy  bully  you." 

"  No  man  bullies  me,"  said  Head  ;  "  least  and  last 
of  all  a  young  man.  Waite  have  too  much  sense,  I 
should  hope,  to  fall  foul  of  me.  But  if  it  comes  to 
that,  I  can  give  him  better  than  he'll  give  me  —  a 
long  sight  better,  too." 

"  The  Cadworthy  people  have  been  a  bit  off  us 
since  Cora  dropped  Ned,"  declared  Heathman.  "  No 
wonder,  neither,  but  my  mother's  cruel  galled  about 
it.  'Twasn't  her  fault,  however.  Still,  that's  how  it 
lies." 

Mr.  Head  was  examining  this  situation  when  the 
people  began  to  come  out  of  church. 

He  rose,  therefore,  and  went  his  way,  while  Heath- 
man  also  departed.  Many  returned  to  the  outraged 
grave,  but  all  was  restored  to  order,  and  nothing  re- 
mained to  see. 


CHAPTER   VIII 

JACK  HEAD  presently  carried  his  notorious  griev- 
ances to  Humphrey  Baskerville,  and  waited  upon 
him  one  evening  in  summer  time.  They  had  not 
met  for  many  weeks,  and  Jack,  though  he  found  httle 
leisure  to  mark  the  ways  of  other  people  at  this  season, 
could  not  fail  to  note  a  certain  unwonted  cheerfulness 
in  the  master  of  Hawk  House.  Humphrey's  satur- 
nine spirit  was  at  rest  for  the  moment.  To-night  he 
talked  upon  a  personal  topic,  and  found  evident 
pleasure  in  a  circumstance  which,  from  the  standpoint 
of  his  visitor,  appeared  exceedingly  trivial.  The  usual 
relations  of  these  men  seemed  changed,  and  Mr. 
Baskerville  showed  the  more  reasonable  and  contented 
mind,  while  Jack  displayed  an  active  distrust  of  every- 
thing and  everybody. 

"  I  wanted  a  bit  of  a  tell  with  you,"  he  began,  "  and 
thought  I  might  come  over."  ■ 

"  Come  in  and  welcome,"  answered  Humphrey. 
"  I  hope  I  see  you  pretty  middhng  ?  " 

"  Yes,  well  enough  for  that  matter.     And   you  ? " 

"  Never  better.  'Tis  wonnerful  how  the  rheumatics 
be  holding  off —  along  of  lemons.  You  might  stare, 
but  'tis  a  flame-new  remedy  of  doctor's.  Lemon  juice 
—  pints  of  it." 

"  Should  have  reckoned  there  was  enough  lemon  in 
your  nature  without  adding  to  it." 

"  Enough  and  to  spare.  Yet  you  needn't  rub  that 
home  to-day.  I've  heard  a  thing  that's  very  much 
pleased  me,  I  may  tell  you.  Last  news  such  a  cranky 
and  uncomfortable  man  as  me  might  have  expected." 

2E  417 


41 8  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

"  Wish  I  could  hear  summat  that  would  please  me, 
I'm  sure,"  said  Jack.  "  But  all  that  ever  I  hear  of 
nowadays  is  other  people's  good  luck.  And  there's 
nothing  more  damned  uninteresting  after  a  bit.  Not 
that  I  grudge  t'others " 

"  Of  course  you  don't  —  not  with  your  high  opinions. 
You've  said  to  me  a  score  of  times  that  there's  no  jus- 
tice in  the  world,  therefore  'tis  no  use  your  fretting 
about  not  getting  any.  We  must  take  things  as  we 
find  them." 

"  And  what's  your  luck,  then  ?  More  money  rolling 
in,  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  My  luck  —  so  to  call  it —  mightn't  look  over  large 
to  another.  'Tis  that  my  nephew  Rupert  and  his  wife 
want  for  me  to  be  godfather  to  their  babe.  The  child 
will  be  called  after  me,  and  I'm  to  stand  godfather  ;  and 
I'll  confess  to  you,  in  secret,  that  I'm  a  good  deal 
pleased  about  it." 

Jack  sniffed  and  spat  into  the  fire.  He  took  a  pipe 
out  of  his  pocket,  stuffed  it,  and  hghted  it  before  he 
answered. 

"  I  was  going  to  say  that  little  things  please  little 
minds,  but  I  won't,"  he  began.  "  If  you  can  find 
pleasure  in  such  a  trifle — well,  you'm  fortunate.  I 
should  have  reckoned  with  all  the  misery  there  is  in 
the  world  around  you,  that  there'd  be  more  pain  than 
pleasure  in " 

He  broke  off. 

"  'Tis  the  thought,"  explained  Mr.  Baskerville.  "  It 
shows  that  they  young  people  feel  towards  me  a  proper 
and  respectful  feeling.  It  shows  that  they'd  trust  me 
to  be  a  godparent  to  this  newborn  child.  I  know  very 
well  that  folk  are  often  asked  just  for  the  sake  of  a  silver 
spoon,  or  a  christening  mug ;  but  my  nephew  Rupert 
and  his  wife  Milly  be  very  different  to  that.  There's 
no  truckling  in  them.     They've  thought  this  out,  and 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  419 

reckoned  I'm  the  right  man  —  old  as  I  am.  And  nat- 
urally I  feel  well  satisfied  about  it." 

"  Let  that  be,  then.  If  you're  pleased,  their  object 
be  gained,  for  naturally  they  want  to  please  you.  Why 
not  ?  You  must  die  sooner  or  later,  though  nobody's 
better  content  than  me  to  hear  you'm  doing  so  clever 
just  at  present.  But  go  you  must,  and  then  there's 
your  mighty  fortune  got  to  be  left  to  something  or 
somebody." 

"  Mighty's  not  the  word,  Jack." 

"  Ban't  it  ?  Then  a  little  bird  tells  the  people  a  lot 
of  lies.  And,  talking  of  cash,  I'm  here  over  that  mat- 
ter myself." 

But  Humphrey  was  not  interested  in  cash  for  the 
moment. 

"  They  sent  me  a  very  well-written  letter  on  the  sub- 
ject," he  continued.  "On  the  subject  of  the  child. 
'Twas  more  respectful  to  me  and  less  familiar  to  put 
it  in  writing  —  so  they  thought.  And  I've  written  back 
a  long  letter,  and  you  shall  hear  just  how  I  wrote,  if 
you  please.  There's  things  in  my  letter  I'd  rather  like 
you  to  hear." 

Mr.  Head  showed  impatience,  and  the  other  was 
swift  to  mark  it. 

"Another  time,  if  'tis  all  the  same  to  you,"  Jack 
replied.  "  Let  me  get  off  what's  on  my  chest  first. 
Then  I'll  be  a  better  listener.  I  ha'n't  got  much  use 
for  second-hand  wisdom  for  the  moment." 

Mr.  Baskerville  had  already  picked  up  his  letter ; 
but  now  he  flung  the  pages  back  upon  his  desk  and  his 
manner  changed. 

"  Speak,"  he  said.  "  You  learn  me  a  lesson.  Ban't 
often  I'm  wrapped  up  in  my  own  affairs,  I  believe. 
I  beg  your  pardon.  Head." 

"  No  need  to  do  that.  Only,  seen  from  my  point, 
with  all  my  misfortunes  and  troubles  on  my  mind,  this 


420  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

here  twopenny-halfpenny  business  of  naming  a  newborn 
babby  looks  very  small.  You  can't  picture  it,  no  doubt 
—  you  with  your  riches  and  your  money  breeding  like 
rabbits.  But  for  a  man  such  as  me,  to  see  the  sweat  of 
his  brow  swept  away  all  at  a  stroke  —  nought  else  looks 
of  much  account." 

"  Haven't  you  got  over  that  yet .''  " 

"  No,  I  haven't ;  and  more  wouldn't  you,  if  some- 
body had  hit  you  so  hard." 

"  Say  your  say  then,  if  'twill  do  you  any  sort  of  good." 

"  What  I  want  to  know  is  this.  Why  for  do  Lawyer 
Popham  help  one  man  and  not  help  t'other  ^  Why  do 
this  person  —  I  dare  say  you  know  who  'tis  —  do  what 
he's  doing  and  pick  and  choose  according  to  his  fancy  ? 
It  isn't  Masterman  or  I'd  have  gived  him  a  bit  of  my 
mind  about  it.  And  if  I  could  find  out  who  it  was,  I 
would  do  so." 

"  The  grievance  is  that  you  don't  get  your  bit  back  ? 
Are  you  the  only  one  ?  " 

"  No,  I'm  not.  There's  a  lot  more  going  begging 
the  same  way.  And  if  you  know  the  man,  you  can 
tell  him  from  me  that  he  may  think  he'm  doing  a  very 
fine  thing,  but  in  my  opinion  he  isn't." 

Mr.  Baskerville  had  relapsed  into  his  old  mood. 

"  So  much  for  your  sense,  then  —  you  that  pride 
yourself  such  a  lot  on  being  the  only  sane  man  among 
us.      Have   you  ever  looked  into  the  figures  ? " 

"  I've  looked  into  my  own  figures,  and  they  be  all 
I   care  about." 

"  Exactly  so  !  But  them  that  want  to  right  this 
wrong  have  looked  into  all  the  figures ;  and  so  they 
know  a  great  deal  more  about  'em  than  you  do. 
You're  not  everybody.  You're  a  hale,  hearty  crea- 
ture getting  good  wages.  More  than  one  man  that 
put  away  money  with  my  brother  is  dead  long  ago, 
and    there    are   women    and    children    to    be  thought 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  421 

upon  ;  and  a  bedridden  widow,  and  two  twin  boys,  both 
weak  in  the  head ;  and  a  few  other  such  items.  Why  for 
shouldn't  there  be  picking  and  choosing  ?  If  you'd 
been  going  to  lend  a  hand  yourself  and  do  a  bit  for 
charity,  wouldn't  you  pick  and  choose  ?  Ban't  all  life 
picking  and  choosing  ?  Women  and  childer  first  is 
the  rule  in  any  shipwreck,  I  believe  —  afloat  or  ashore. 
And  if  you  was  such  a  born  fool  as  to  trust,  because 
others  trusted,  and  follow  the  rest,  like  a  sheep  fol- 
lows his  neighbour  sheep,  then  I  should  reckon  you 
deserve  to  whistle  for  your  money.  If  this  chap,  who 
was  fond  of  my  brother  and  be  set  on  clearing  his 
name,  will  listen  to  me,  you  and  the  likes  of  you  will 
have  to  wait  a  good  few  years  yet  for  your  bit  —  if 
you  ever  get  it  at  all.  You  ought  to  know  better  — 
you  as  would  shoulder  in  afore  the  weak !  And 
now  you  can  go.  I  don't  want  to  see  you  no  more, 
till  you've  got  into  a  larger   frame  of  mind." 

"  What  a  cur-dog  you  be!"  said  Head,  rising  and 
scowling  fiercely.  "  So  much  for  Christian  charity  and 
doing  to  your  neighbour  as  you  would  have  him  do  to 
you  —  so  much  for  all  your  cant  about  righteousness. 
You  wait  —  that's  all !  Your  turn  will  come  to  smart 
some  day.  And  if  I  find  out  this  precious  fool,  who's 
got  money  to  squander,  I'll  talk  a  bit  of  sense  to  him 
too.  He's  no  right  to  do  things  by  halves,  and  one 
man's  claim  on  that  scamp,  your  brother,  is  just  as 
lawful  and  proper  as  another  man's ;  and  because  a 
person  be  poor  or  not  poor  don't  make  any  difference 
in  the  matter  of  right  and  wrong," 

"  That's  where  you're  so  blind  as  any  other  thick- 
headed beetle,"  snarled  back  Flumphrey.  "  For  my 
part  I've  looked  into  the  figures  myself,  and  I  quite 
agree  with  Nathan's  friend.  None  has  a  shadow  of 
reason  to  question  him  or  to  ask  for  a  penny  from 
him.     'Tis  his  bounty,  not  your  right." 


42  2 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS 


"  Very  easy  to  talk  like  that.  Why  don't  you  put  your 
fingers  in  your  own  pocket  and  lend  a  hand  yourself? 
Not  you  —  a  sneaking  old  curmudgeon!  And  then 
want  people  to  think  well  of  you.  Why  the  devil 
should  they  ?  Close-fisted  mully-grubs  that  you  are  ! 
And  hark  to  this,  Miser  Baskerville,  don't  you  pretend 
your  nephew  wants  you  to  stand  gossip  for  his  bleat- 
ing baby  to  pleasure  you.  'Tis  because  he's  got  his 
weather-eye  lifting  on  your  dross.  Who's  like  to  care 
for  you  for  yourself?  Not  a  dog.  Your  face  be 
enough  to  turn  milk  sour  and  give  the  childer  fits." 

"  Get  along  with  you,"  answered  Humphrey.  "You 
—  of  all  men  !  I  could  never  have  believed  this  — 
never.  And  all  for  thirty-five  pounds,  fifteen  and 
sevenpence  !  So  much  for  your  wisdom  and  reason. 
Be  off  and  get  down  on  your  knees,  if  they'll  bend, 
and  ask  God  to  forgive  you." 

Head  snorted  and  swore.  Then  he  picked  up  his 
hat  and  departed  in  a  towering  rage. 

Mr.  Baskerville's  anger  lasted  a  shorter  time.  He 
walked  to  the  window,  threw  it  open,  listened  to  Head's 
explosive  departure  and  then,  when  silence  was  restored, 
Humphrey  himself  went  to  his  doorstep  and  looked 
out  upon  the  fair  June  night. 

Mars  and  a  moon  nearly  full  sailed  south  together 
through  unclouded  skies,  and  beneath  them  lay,  first, 
a  low  horizon,  whose  contour,  smoothed  by  night's 
hand  into  dim  darkness,  showed  neither  point  nor  peak 
under  the  stars.  Beneath  all,  valley-born,  there  shone 
silver  radiance  of  mist  —  dense  and  luminous  in  the 
moonlight.  Apparently  quiescent,  this  vapour  in  truth 
drifted  with  ghostly  proper  motion  before  the  night 
wind,  and  stole  from  the  water-meadows  upward  toward 
the  high  places  of  the  Moor. 

Against  these  shifting  passages  of  fog,  laid  along  the 
skirts  of  forest  and  above  the  murmuring  ways  of  a 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  423 

hidden  river,  ascended  silhouettes  of  trees,  all  black  and 
still  against  the  pearly  Hght  behind  them.  The  vapour 
spread  in  wreaths  and  filaments  of  moisture  intermin- 
gled. Seen  afar  it  was  still  as  standing  water ;  but  to 
one  moving  beside  it,  the  mist  appeared  as  on  a  trem- 
bling loom  where  moonlight  wove  in  ebony  and  silver. 
The  fabric  broke,  ravelled,  fell  asunder,  and  then  built 
itself  up  once  more.  Again  it  dislimned  and  shivered 
into  separate  shades  that  seemed  to  live.  From  staple 
of  streams,  from  the  cold  heart  of  a  nightly  river  were 
the  shadows  born  ;  and  they  writhed  and  worshipped 
—  poor,  heart-stricken  spirits  of  the  dew  —  love-mad 
for  Selene  on  high.  Only  when  red  Mars  descended 
and  the  moon  went  down,  did  these  forlorn  phantoms 
of  vapour  shrink  and  shudder  and  lie  closer,  for  com- 
fort, to  the  water  mother  that  bore  them. 

Hither,  nigh  midnight,  in  a  frame  of  mind  much  out 
of  tune  with  the  nocturnal  peace,  passed  Jack  Head 
upon  his  homeward  way.  Flis  loss  had  now  become 
a  sort  of  mental  obsession,  and  he  found  it  daily  wax 
into  a  mightier  outrage  on  humanity.  He  would  have 
suffered  in  silence,  but  for  the  aggravation  of  these 
events  whereby,  from  time  to  time,  one  or  another  of 
the  wounded  found  his  ill  fortune  healed. 

Examination  might  have  showed  an  impartial  mind 
that  much  method  distinguished  the  process  of  this 
alleviation. 

Those  responsible  for  it  clearly  possessed  close  know- 
ledge of  the  circumstances ;  and  they  used  it  to  minister 
in  turn  to  the  chief  sufferers.  The  widows  and  father- 
less were  first  indemnified ;  then  others  who  least 
could  sustain  their  losses. 

A  sane  system  marked  the  procedure ;  but  not  in 
the  eyes  of  Mr.  Head.  First,  he  disputed  the  right 
of  any  philanthropist  to  select  and  single  out  in  such  a 
matter,  and  next,  when  defeated  in  argument  on   that 


424  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

contention,  he  fell  back  upon  his  own  disaster  and  en- 
deavoured to  show  how  his  misfortune  was  among  the 
hardest  and  most  ill-deserved. 

That  man  after  man  should  be  compensated  and 
himself  ignored,  roused  Jack  to  a  pitch  of  the  liveliest 
indignation.  He  became  a  nuisance,  and  people  fled 
from  him  and  his  inevitable  topic  of  speech.  And  now 
he  had  heard  Humphrey  Baskerville  upon  the  subject, 
and  found  him  as  indifferent  as  the  rest  of  the 
world. 

The  old  man's  argument  still  revolved  in  Jack's 
head  and,  too  late,  came  answers  to  it.  He  moved 
along  in  the  very  extremity  of  rage,  and  Humphrey 
might  have  smarted  to  hear  the  things  that  his  former 
friend  thought  against  him.  Then,  as  ill  chance  willed, 
another  came  through  the  night  and  spoke  to  Head. 

Timothy  Waite  went  happily  upon  his  homeward 
way  and  found  himself  in  a  mood  as  sweet  as  Jack's 
was  the  reverse.  For  Timothy  was  love-making,  and 
his  lady's  ripe  experience  enabled  her  to  give  him  many 
pleasant  hours  of  this  amusement. 

Neither  was  sentimental,  but  Cora,  accustomed  to 
the  ways  and  fancies  of  the  courting  male,  affected  a 
certain  amount  of  femininity,  and  Timothy  appreciated 
this,  and  told  himself  that  his  future  wife  possessed  a 
woman's  charms  combined  with  a  man's  practical  sense. 
He  was  immensely  elated  at  the  thing  he  had  done, 
and  he  felt  gratified  to  find  that  Miss  Lintern  made  a 
most  favourable  impression  amid  his  friends  and  rela- 
tions. 

Now,  moved  thereto  by  his  own  cheerful  heart,  he 
gave  Jack  Head  *good  night'  in  a  friendly  tone  of 
voice  and  added,  "  A  beautiful  evening,  sure  enough." 

The  way  was  overshadowed  by  trees  and  neither 
man  recognised  the  other  until  Waite  spoke.  Then 
Mr.  Head,  feeling  himself  within  the  atmosphere  of  a 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  425 

happy  being,  grunted  a  churlish  answer  and  made  him- 
self known. 

Thereon  Timothy's  manner  changed  and  he  regretted 
his  amenity. 

"  Is  that  Head  ?  "  he  asked  in  an  altered  tone. 

"  You  know  my  voice,  I  suppose." 

"  Yes,  I  do.  I  want  to  speak  to  you.  And  I  have 
meant  to  for  some  time  past.  But  the  chance  didn't 
offer,  as  you  don't  go  to  church,  or  any  respectable 
place ;  and  I  don't  frequent  publics." 

The  other  bristled  instantly. 

"  What  the  hell's  the  matter  with  you  ? "  he 
shouted. 

"  Nothing's  the  matter  with  me.  But  there's  a  lot 
the  matter  with  you  by  all  accounts,  and  since  you 
can't  keep  a  civil  tongue  in  your  head,  it's  time  your 
betters  took  you  in  hand  a  bit." 

Jack  stared  speechless  at  this  blunt  attack.  The 
moon  whitened  his  face,  his  lean  jaw  dropped  and  his 
teeth  glimmered. 

"  Well,  I'm  damned  !     '  My  betters  '  —  eh  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  no  need  for  any  silly  pretence  with  me. 
You  know  what  I  think  of  your  blackguard  opinions 
and  all  that  rot  about  equality  and  the  rest.  I'm  not 
here  to  preach  to  you  ;  but  I  am  here  to  tell  you  to 
behave  yourself  where  ladles  are  concerned.  Miss 
Lintern  has  told  me  what  you  said  to  her,  and  she 
complained  sharply  about  it.  You  may  think  it  was 
very  clever  ;  but  I'd  have  you  to  know  it  was  very 
impertinent,  coming  from  you  to  her.  Why,  if  I'd 
been  by,  I'd  have  horsewhipped  you.  And  If  it  hap- 
pens again,  I  will.  You're  a  lot  too  familiar  with 
people,  and  seem  to  think  you've  a  right  to  talk  to 
everybody  and  anybody  in  a  free  and  easy  way  —  from 
parson  downwards.  But  let  me  tell  you,  you  forget 
yourself.      I'd  not  have  said  these  things  if  you'd  been 


426  THE    THREE    BROTHERS 

rude  to  any  less  person  than  the  young  lady  I'm  going 
to  marry.  But  that  I  won't  stand,  and  I  order  you 
not  to  speak  to  Miss  Lintern  again.  Learn  manners 
—  that's  what  you've  got  to  do." 

Having  uttered  this  admonition,  Mr.  Waite  was 
proceeding  but  Jack  stopped  him. 

"  I  listened  to  you  very  patient,"  he  said.  "  Now 
you've  got  to  listen  to  me,  and  listen  you  shall.  Why, 
God  stiffen  it,  you  bumbling  fool !  who  d'you  think 
you  are,  and  who  d'you  think  any  man  is  ?  You  be 
china  to  my  cloam,  I  suppose  ?  And  who  was  your 
grandfather  ?     Come  now,  speak  up  ;    who  was  he  ?  " 

"  I'm  not  going  to  argue  —  I've  told  you  what  I 
wish  you  to  do.  It  doesn't  matter  who  my  grand- 
father was.     You  know  who  I  am,  and  that's  enough." 

"  It  is  enough,"  said  Jack  ;  "  it's  enough  to  make  a 
toad  laugh ;  but  I  don't  laugh  —  no  laughing  matter 
to  me  to  be  told  by  a  vain,  puffed-up  booby,  like  you, 
that  I'm  not  good  enough  to  have  speech  with  people. 
And  that  tousled  bitch  —  there  —  and  coming  on  what 
I've  just  heard  !  If  it  don't  make  me  sick  with 
human  nature  and  all   the  breed  !  " 

"  Be  sick  with  yourself,"  answered  Timothy.  "  I 
don't  want  to  be  too  hard  on  an  uneducated  and  self- 
sufficient  man  ;  but  when  it  comes  to  insulting  women, 
somebody  must  intervene." 

By  way  of  answer  the  older  man  turned,  walked 
swiftly  to  Waite  and  struck  him  on  the  breast.  The 
blow  was  a  hard  one  and  served  its  purpose.  Timothy 
hit  back  and  Head  closed. 

"  You  blackguard  anarchist,"  shouted  the  farmer. 
"  You  will  have  it,  will  you  ?     Then  take  It !  " 

Jack  found  himself  no  match  for  a  strong  and  angry 
man  full  twenty-five  years  his  junior,  and  he  reaped  a 
very  unpleasant  harvest  of  blows,  for  the  master  of 
Coldstone  carried  an    ash   sapling  and  when    he    had 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS 


427 


thrown  Mr.  Head  to  the  ground  he  put  his  foot  on 
him  and  flogged  him  heartily  without  heeding  where 
his  strokes  might  fall.  Head  yelled  and  cursed  and 
tried  to  reach  the  other's  legs  and  bring  him  down.  A 
column  of  dust  rose  into  the  moonlight  and  Timothy's 
breath  panted  steaming  upon  the  air.  Then,  with  a 
last  cruel  cut  across  the  defeated  labourer's  shoulders, 
he  released  him  and  went  his  way.  But  Head  was 
soon  up  again  and,  with  a  bleeding  face,  a  torn  hand 
and  a  dusty  jacket,  he  followed  his  enemy. 

Rage  is  shrewd  of  inspiration.  He  remembered  the 
one  blow  that  he  could  deal  this  man ;  and  he  struck 
it,  hoping  that  it  might  sink  far  deeper  than  the  smart- 
ing surface-wounds  that  now  made  his  own  body  ache. 

"  Devil  —  coward  —  garotter  !  "  he  screamed  out. 
"You  that  hit  old  men  in  the  dark  —  listen  to  me  !  " 

Waite  stopped. 

"  If  you  want  any  more,  you  can  have  it,"  he  an- 
swered. "  But  don't  go  telling  lies  around  the  country 
and  saying  I  did  anything  you  didn't  well  deserve. 
You  struck  me  first,  and  if  you  are  mad  enough  to 
strike  your  betters,  then  you'll  find  they  will  strike 
back." 

"I'll  strike  —  yes,  I'll  strike  —  don't  fear  that.  I'll 
strike  —  a  harder  blow  than  your  evil  hand  knows 
how.  I'll  strike  with  truth  —  and  that's  a  weapon 
goes  deeper  than  your  bully's  stick.  Hear  me,  and 
hear  a  bit  about  your  young  lady  —  *  young  lady '  ! 
A  woman  without  a  father  —  a  child  got  —  ax  her 
mother  where  and  how  —  and  then  go  to  blazing  hell 
—  you  and  your  nameless  female  both.  I  know  —  I 
know  —  and  I'll  tell  you  if  you  want  to  know.  She's 
Nathan  Baskerville's  bastard  —  that's  what  your 
*  young  lady '  is  !  There's  gall  for  yours.  There's 
stroke  for  stroke  !  And  see  which  of  us  smarts  long- 
est now  !  " 


428  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

Jack  took  his  bruises  homeward  and  the  other, 
dazed  at  such  a  storm,  also  went  his  way.  He  scoffed 
at  such  malice  and  put  this  evil  thing  behind  him. 
He  hastened  forward,  as  one  hastens  from  sudden  in- 
cidence of  a  foul  smell. 

But  the  wounded  man  had  sped  a  poison  more 
pestilential  far  than  any  born  of  physical  cause.  The 
germ  thus  despatched  grew  while  Waite  slept ;  and 
with  morning  light  its  dimensions  were  increased. 

Under  the  moon,  he  had  laughed  at  this  furious 
assault,  and  scorned  it  as  the  vile  imagining  of  a  beaten 
creature ;  but  with  daylight  he  laughed  no  longer. 
The  barb  was  fast ;  other  rumours  set  floating  after 
the  innkeeper's  death  now  hurtled  like  lesser  arrows 
into  his  bosom  ;  and  Mr.  Waite  felt  that  until  a  drastic 
operation  was  performed  and  these  wounds  cleansed, 
his  peace  of  mind  would  not  return. 

He  debated  between  the  propriety  of  speaking  to 
Cora  about  her  father,  or  to  Mrs.  Lintern  on  the  sub- 
ject of  her  husband ;  and  he  decided  that  the  latter 
course  would  be  more  proper. 


CHAPTER    IX 

SUSAN  HACKER  and  her  master  sat  together  in 
the  kitchen.     He  had  lighted  his  pipe ;   she  was 
clearing  away  the  remains  of  a  somewhat  scanty 
meal,  and  she  was  grumbling  loudly  as  she  did  so. 

"  Leave  it,"  he  cried  at  length,  "  or  I  won't  show 
you  the  christening  mug  for  Milly's  baby.  It  have 
come  from  Plymouth,  and  a  rare,  fine,  glittering  thing 
it  is." 

"  I  won't  leave  it,"  she  answered.  "  You  can't  see 
the  end  of  this,  but  I  can.  People  know  you've  got 
plenty  of  money,  but  they  don't  know  the  way  you're 
fooling  it  about,  and  presently,  when  you  go  and  get 
ill,  and  your  bones  begin  to  stick  through  your  skin, 
'tis  I  shall  be  blamed." 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it.  They  all  think  I'm  a  miser, 
don't  they  ^  Let  'em  go  on  thinking  it.  'Tis  the 
way  of  a  miser's  bones  to  stick  out  through  his  skin. 
Everybody  knows  that  I  live  cheap  from  choice  and 
always  have.  I  hate  the  time  given  to  eating  and 
drinking." 

"  You've  always  lived  like  a  labouring  man,"  she 
admitted.  "  But  of  late,  here  and  there,  people  be 
more  friendly  towards  you,  because  you  let  your  folk 
bide  at  Cadworthy  ;  and  I'm  sick  and  tired  of  hearing 
Hester  Baskerville  tell  me  you  don't  eat  enough,  and 
Rupert  and  Milly  too.  Then  there's  that  Gollop 
woman  and  a  few  other  females  have  said  things 
against  me  about  the  way  I  run  this  house.  And  'tis 
bad  to  suffer  it,  for  the  Lord  knows  I've  got  enough 
on  my  mind  without  their  lies." 

429 


430  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

"  Get  *em  off  your  mind,  then,"  he  answered. 
"You're  a  changed  woman  of  late,  and  I'll  tell  you 
what's  done  it.  I  only  found  out  myself  a  bit  ago 
and  said  nought ;  but  now  I  will  speak.  I've  won- 
dered these  many  weeks  what  had  come  over  you,  and 
three  days  since  1  discovered.  And  who  was  it,  d'you 
think,  told  me?  " 

Her  guilty  heart  thumped  at  Susan's  ribs. 

"  Not  Jack  Head  ?  "  she  asked. 

"Jack?  No.  What  does  he  know  about  you? 
Jack's  another  changed  creature.  He  was  pretty 
good  company  once,  but  his  losses  have  soured 
him.  'Twasn't  Jack.  'Twas  the  reverend  Master- 
man.     You've  signed  the  pledge,   I   hear." 

"  He'd  no  business  to  tell,"  declared  Susan.  "  Yes, 
I  have  signed  it.  I'm  a  wicked  woman,  and  never 
another  drop  shall  pass  my  lips." 

"  'Tis  that  that's  made  you  cranky,  all  the  same," 
he  declared.  "  You  was  accustomed  to  your  tipple 
and  you  miss  it.  However,  I'm  the  last  to  say  you 
did  wrong  in  signing.  When  your  organs  get  used  to 
going  without,  you'll  find  yourself  better  company 
again.  And  don't  worry  about  the  table  I  keep.  I 
live  low  from  choice,  not  need.  It  suits  me  to  starve 
a  bit.     I'm  the  better  and  cheerfuller  for  it." 

But  then  she  took  up  the  analysis  and  explained  to 
him  whence  his  good  health  and  spirits  had  sprung. 

"  Ban't  that  at  all.  'Tis  what  you  be  doing  have 
got  into  your  blood.  I  know  — I  know.  You've  hid 
it  from  all  of  'em,  but  you  haven't  hid  it  from  me. 
I  don't  clean  up  all  the  rubbish  you  make  and  sift 
your  waste-paper  basket  for  nought.  I  itch  to  let  it 
out !  But  God  forgive  me,  I've  let  out  enough  in 
my  time." 

He  turned  on  her  angrily ;  then  fearlessly  she  met 
his  frown  and  he  subsided. 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  431 

"  You  re  a  dangerous,  prying  woman,"  he  said, 
"  and  you  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourself.". 

"  I'm  all  that,"  she  admitted  ;  "  and  shame  isn't  the 
word.      I'm  ashamed  enough,  and  more  than  ashamed." 

"  If  you  let  out  a  breath  of  my  little  games,  I'll 
pack  you  off  into  the  street  that    very  day,  Susan." 

She  sat  down  by  the  fire  and  took  her  knitting 
off  the  peat  box  where  it  was    usually  to  be   found. 

"You  needn't  fear  me,"  she  answered.  "I've  had 
my  lesson.  If  ever  I  tell  again  what  I  should  not, 
you  may   kick  me  into  the  gutter." 

He  mused  over  the  thoughts  that  she  had  awakened. 

"  I  know  a  mazing  deal  more  about  the  weaknesses 
of  my  brother  Nathan  now  than  ever  I  did  while  the 
man  was  in  life,"  he  began.  "  He  was  always  giving 
—  always  giving,  whether  he  had  it  to  give  or  whether 
he  hadn't.  I'm  not  defending  him,  but  I  know  what 
it  felt  like  a  bit  now.  Giving  be  like  drink :  it  grows 
on  a  man  the  same  as  liquor  does.  Nathan  ought  to 
have  taken  the  pledge  against  giving.  And  yet  'tis 
just  another  example  of  how  the  Bible  word  never 
errs.  On  the  face  of  it  you'd  think  'twas  better  fun  to 
receive  than  to  give.  But  that  isn't  so.  Once  break 
down  the  natural  inclination,  shared  by  the  dog  with 
his  bone,  to  stick  to  what  you've  got  —  once  make 
yourself  hand  over  a  bit  to  somebody  else  —  and 
you'll  find  a  wonderful  interest  arise  out  of  it." 

"  Some  might.  Some  would  break  their  hearts  if 
they  had  to  fork  out  like  you've  been  doing  of  late." 

"  They  be  the  real  misers.  To  them  their  stuff  is 
more  than  food  and  life  and  the  welfare  of  the  nation. 
And  even  them,  if  we  could  tear  their  gold  away  from 
them,  might  thank  us  after  they'd  got  over  the  opera- 
tion, and  found  themselves  better  instead  of  worse 
without  it." 

"  All  that's  too  deep  for  me,"  she  answered.     "  The 


432  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

thing  that's  most  difficult  to  me  be  this :  How  do  you 
get  any  good  out  of  helping  these  poor  folk  all  under- 
hand and  unknown  ?  Surely  if  a  man  or  woman  does 
good  to  others,  he's  a  right  to  the  only  payment  the 
poor  can  make  him.  And  that's  gratitude.  Why 
won't  you  out  with  it  and  let  them  thank  you  ? " 

"  You're  wrong,"  he  said.  "  I've  lived  too  many 
years  in  the  world  to  want  that.  I'm  a  fool  here  and 
there,  Susan ;  but  I'm  not  the  sort  of  fool  that  asks 
from  men  and  women  what's  harder  to  give  than  any 
other  thing.  To  put  a  fellow-creature  under  an  obliga- 
tion is  to  have  a  faith  in  human  nature  that  I  never 
have  had,  and  never  shall  have.  No,  I  don't  want 
that  payment;  I'm  getting  better  value  for  my  money 
than  that." 

"  So  long  as  you're  satisfied " 

Silence  followed  and  each  pursued  a  private  line  of 
thought.  Humphrey  puffed  his  pipe ;  Susan  knitted, 
and  her  wooden  needles  tapped  and  rattled  a  regular 
tune.  She  was  wondering  whether  the  confession  that 
she  desired  to  make  might  be  uttered  at  this  auspicious 
moment.  Her  conscience  tortured  her ;  and  it  was 
the  weight  of  a  great  misery  on  her  mind,  not  the  fact 
of  giving  up  liquor,  that  had  of  late  soured  her  tem- 
per. She  had  nearly  strung  herself  to  tell  him  of  her 
sins  when  he,  from  the  depths  of  his  being,  spoke 
again.     But  he  was  scarcely  conscious  of  a  listener. 

"  To  think  that  a  man  like  me  —  so  dark  and  dis- 
trustful—  to  think  that  even  such  a  man  —  I,  that 
thought  my  heart  was  cracked  for  ever  when  my  son 
died  —  I,  that  said  to  myself  *  no  more,  no  more  can 
any  earthly  thing  fret  you  now.'  And  yet  all  the 
time,  like  a  withered  pippin  —  brown,  dry  as  dust  — 
there  was  that  within  that  only  wanted  something  — 
some  heat  to  the  pulp  of  me  —  to  plump  me  out 
again.     To    think    that   the    like    of  me    must    have 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  433 

some  other  thing  to  —  to  cherish  and  foster !  To 
think  my  shrivelled  heart-strings  could  ever  stretch 
and  seek  for  aught  to  twine  around  again  !  Who'd 
believe  it  of  such  a  man  as  me  ?  God  A'mighty  !  I 
didn't  believe  it  of  myself!" 

"  But  I  knowed  it,"  said  Susan.  "  You  always 
went  hunger-starved  for  people  to  think  a  bit  kindly 
of  you  ;  you  always  fretted  when  decent  folk  didn't 
like  you." 

"Not  that — not  that  now.  I  wanted  their  good- 
will ;  but  I've  found  something  a  lot  higher  than  that. 
To  see  a  poor  soul  happy  is  better  far  than  to  see  'em 
grateful.  What  does  that  matter  ?  To  mark  their 
downward  eye  uplifted  again  ;  to  note  their  fear  for 
the  future  gone ;  to  see  hope  creep  back  to  'em  ;  to 
watch  'em  walk  cheerful  and  work  cheerful ;  to  know 
they  laugh  in  their  going  once  more ;  that  they  lie 
themselves  down  with  a  sigh  of  happiness  and  not  of 
grief —  ban't  all  that  grander  than  their  gratitude  ? 
Gratitude  must  fade  sooner  or  late,  for  the  largest- 
hearted  can't  feel  it  for  ever,  try  as  he  may.  Benefits 
forgot  are  dust  and  ashes  to  the  giver  —  if  he  remem- 
bers. But  none  can  take  from  me  the  good  I've  won 
from  others'  good ;  and  none  can  make  that  memory 
dim." 

"  'Tis  a  fairy  story,"  murmured  Mrs.  Hacker. 

"No,"  he  said,  "'tis  a  Httle  child's  story  —  the 
thing  they  learn  at  a  mother's  knees  ;  and  because  I 
was  a  growed-up  man,  I  missed  it.  'Tis  a  riddle  a 
generous  child  could  have  guessed  in  a  minute ;  but  it 
took  one  stiff-necked  fool  from  his  adult  days  into  old 
age  afore  he  did." 

Susan's  mind  moved  to  her  purpose,  and  she  knew 
that  never  again  might  fall  so  timely  a  moment.  She 
put  down  her  knitting,  flung  a  peat  on  the  fire,  and 
spoke. 


434  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

"  You  be  full  of  wonderful  tales  to-night,  but  now 
I'll  please  ask  you  to  listen  to  me,"  she  began. 
"  And  mark  this  :  you  can't  well  be  too  hard  upon 
me.  I've  got  a  pack  of  sins  to  confess,  and  if,  when 
you've  heard  'em,  you  won't  do  with  me  no  more, 
then  do  without  me,  and  send  me  through  that  door. 
I  deserve  it.  There's  nought  that's  bad  I  don't 
deserve." 

He  started  up. 

"  What's  this  ?  "  he  said.  "  You  haven't  told  any- 
body ?  " 

"  No,  no,  no.  Ban't  nothing  about  your  affairs. 
In  a  word,  I  overheard  a  secret.  I  listened.  I  did 
it  out  of  woman's  cursed  curiosity.  And,  as  if  that 
weren't  enough,  I  got  drunk  as  a  fly  down  to  *  The 
White  Thorn '  a  while  back  and  let  out  the  truth. 
And  nought's  too  bad  for  me  —  nought  in  nature,  I'm 
sure." 

Mr.  Baskerville  put  down  his  pipe  and  turned  to 
her. 

"  Don't  get  excited.  Begin  at  the  beginning.  What 
did  you  hear  ?  " 

"  I  heard  Mrs.  Lintern  tell  you  she  was  your 
brother's  mistress.  I  heard  her  tell  you  her  chil- 
dren was  also   his." 

"  And  you're  scourged  for  knowing  it.  Let  that  be 
a  lesson  to  you,  woman." 

"  That's  only  the  beginning.  I  ban't  scourged  for 
that.     I'm  scourged  because  I've  let  it  out  again." 

"  I'm  shocked  at  you,"  he  answered.  "  Yes,  I'm 
very  much  shocked  at  you  ;  but  I'm  not  at  all  sur- 
prised. I  knew  as  sure  as  I  knew  anything  that 
'twould  out.  The  Lord  chooses  His  own  time  and 
His  own  tool.  But  that  don't  make  your  sin  smaller. 
You're  a  wicked  woman." 

"  I've  signed  the  pledge,  however,  and  not  another 
drop " 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  435 

"  Flow  many  of  'em  did  you  tell  ?  " 

"  But  one.  Of  course,  I  chose  the  man  with  the 
longest  tongue.  Jack  Head  saw  me  up  the  hill  after 
closing  time  and  — there  'twas  —  I  had  to  squeak. 
But  I  made  him  swear  as  solemn  as  he  knowed  how 
that  he  wouldn't." 

"  He's  not  what  he  was.  We  had  a  proper  row  a 
month  ago.  I  doubt  if  he'll  ever  speak  to  me  again. 
And  until  he  makes  a  humble  apology  for  what  he 
spoke,   I   won't  hear  him." 

"  He  swore  he  wouldn't  tell." 

"  Be  that  as  it  may,  it  will  be  known.  It's  started 
and  it  won't  stop." 

They  talked  for  two  hours  upon  the  problems 
involved  in  these  facts.  Then  there  came  a  knock 
at  the  door  and  Susan  went  to  answer  it. 

Mr.  Baskerville  heard  a  protracted  mumble  and 
finally,  after  some  argument,  Mrs.  Hacker  shut  the 
door  and  returned  into  the  kitchen  with  a  man. 

It  was  Jack  himself. 

He  explained  the  reason  for  his  unduly  late  visit. 
He  was  anxious  and  troubled.  He  spoke  without  his 
usual  fluency. 

"  I  didn't  come  to  see  you,"  he  said.  "  I  waited 
till  'twas  past  your  hour  for  going  to  bed.  But  know- 
ing that  Mrs.  Hacker  was  always  later,  I  thought  to 
speak  to  her.  However,  nothing  would  do  but  1  came 
in,  and  here  I  be." 

"I'll  have  nought  to  say  to  you.  Head  —  not  a 
single  word  —  until  you  make  a  solemn  apology  for 
your  infernal  impudence  last  time  you  stood  here  afore 
me,"  said  the  master  of  Hawk  House,  surveying  his 
visitor. 

"  So  Susan  tells  me,  and  so  I  will  then,"  replied  Jack. 
"  So  solemn  as  ever  you  like.  You  was  right  and  I 
was  wrong,  and  I  did  ought  to  have  been  kicked  from 


436  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

here  to  Cosdon  Beacon  and  back  for  what  I  said  to 
you.  We'm  always  punished  for  losing  of  our  tempers. 
And  I  was  damn  soon  punished  for  losing  mine,  as  you 
shall  hear.  But  first  1  confess  that  I  was  wrong  and 
ax  you,  man  to  man,  to  forgive  me." 

"  Which  I  will  do,  and  here's  my  hand  on  it,"  said 
the  other. 

The  old  men  shook  hands  and  Susan  wept.  Her 
emotion  was  audible  and  Humphrey  told  her  to  go  to 
bed.     She  refused. 

"  I'm  in  this,"  she  said.  "  'Tis  all  my  wicked  fault 
from  beginning  to  end,  and  I'm  going  to  hear  it  out. 
I  shall  weep  my  eyes  blistered  afore  morning." 

"  Don't  begin  now,  then.  If  you're  going  to  stop 
here,  be  silent,"  said  Humphrey. 

She  sniffed,  wiped  her  face,  and  then  fetched  a  black 
bottle,  some  drinking  water,  and  two  glasses. 

"  Light  your  pipe  and  say  what  you  feel  called  upon 
to  say,"  concluded  Humphrey  to  Mr.  Head. 

"  'Tis  like  this,"  answered  the  other.  "  Every  man 
wants  to  boss  somebody  in  this  world.  That's  a  fail- 
ing of  human  nature,  and  if  we  ain't  strong  enough  to 
lord  it  over  a  fellow-creature,  we  try  to  reign  over  a 
hoss  or  even  a  dog.  Something  we  have  to  be  master 
of  Well,  long  since  I  marked  that,  and  then,  thanks 
to  my  understanding  and  sense,  I  comed  to  see  —  or  I 
may  have  read  it  —  that  'twas  greater  far  to  lord  it 
over  yourself  than  any  other  created  thing." 

"  And  harder  far,"  said  Humphrey. 

"  Without  doubt  you'm  right.  And  I  set  about  it, 
and  I  had  myself  in  hand  something  wonderful ;  and 
very  proud  I  felt  of  it,  as  I  had  the  right  to  feel." 

"  Then  the  Lord,  seeing  you  puffed  up,  sent  a  hard 
stroke  to  try  whether  you  was  as  clever  as  you  thought 
you  was  —  and  He  found  you  were  not,"  suggested 
Mr.  Baskerville. 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  437 

"  I  don't  care  nothing  about  that  nonsense,"  answered 
Jack  ;  "  and,  knowing  my  opinions,  there  ain't  no  call  to 
drag  the  Lord  in.  All  1  do  know  is  that  my  hard-earned 
savings  went,  and  —  and — well,  I  got  my  monkey  up 
about  it,  and  I  got  out  of  hand.  Yes,  I  got  out  of 
hand.  The  awful  shock  of  losing  my  thirty-five  pounds 
odd  took  me  off  my  balance.  For  a  bit  I  couldn't 
stand  square  against  it,  and  I  did  some  vain  things,  and 
just  sank  to  be  a  common,  everyday  fool,  like  most 
other  people." 

"  'Tis  a  good  thing  you  can  see  it,  for  'twill  end  by 
righting  your  opinion  of  yourself." 

"  My  opinion  of  myself  was  a  thought  too  high.  I 
admit  it,"  answered  Jack.  "  For  the  moment  I  was  adrift 
—  but  only  for  the  moment.  Now  I've  come  back  to 
my  common-sense  and  my  high  ideas,  I  can  assure  you. 
But  the  mischief  is  that  just  while  I  was  dancing  with 
rage  and  out  of  hand  altogether,  I  did  some  mistaken 
things.  Enough  I  had  on  my  mind  to  make  me  do  'em, 
too.  But  I  won't  excuse  'em.  I'll  say,  out  and  out, 
that  they  were  very  wrong.  You've  agreed  to  overlook 
one  of  those  things,  and  you  say  you'll  forgive  me  for 
talking  a  lot  of  rubbish  against  you,  for  which  I'm 
terrible  sorry.  So  that's  all  right,  and  no  lasting  harm 
there.      But  t'other  job's  worse." 

Jack  stopped  for  breath,  and  Susan  sighed  from  the 
bottom  of  her  immense  bosom.  Humphrey  poured 
out  some  gin  and  water  for  his  guest.  Then  he  helped 
himself  more  sparingly. 

"  Here's  to  you,"  said  Jack.  "  To  drink  under 
this  roof  is  to  be  forgiven.  Now  I'll  go  on  with  my 
tale,  and  tell  you  about  the  second  piece  of  work." 

He  related  how  he  had  left  Hawk  House  in  wrath, 
how  he  had  met  with  Timothy  Waite  ;  how  he  had 
been  reproved  and  how  he  had  hit  back  both  with  his 
fists  and  his  tongue. 


438  THE    THREE    BROTHERS 

"He  knocked  me  down  and  gave  me  the  truth  of 
music  with  his  heavy  stick.  I  hit  him  first,  and  I'm 
not  saying  anything  about  what  he  did,  though  there 
may  be  thirty  years  between  us  ;  but  anyway  he  roused 
Cain  in  me  and  I  told  him,  in  a  word,  that  the  woman 
he  was  going  to  marry  was  the  natural  child  of  Nathan 
Baskerville.  'Twas  a  double  offence  against  right-do- 
ing, because  I'd  promised  Susan  here  not  to  let  it  out, 
and  because  to  tell  Waite,  of  all  men,  was  a  cowardly 
deed  against  the  girl,  seeing  he  meant  to  marry  her. 
But  I'd  quarrelled  with  her  already,  and  tell  him  I  did ; 
and  now  I  tell  you." 

He  drank  and  stared  into  the  fire.  For  some  time 
Humphrey  did  not  reply ;  but  at  last  he  expressed  his 
opinion. 

"  It  all  depends  on  the  sort  of  chap  that  Waite  may 
prove  to  be.  He'll  either  believe  you,  or  he  won't. 
If  he  don't,  no  harm's  done.  If  he  do,  then  'tis  his 
character  and  opinions  will  decide  him.  For  his  ov/n 
sake  we'll  trust  he'll  throw  her  off,  for  woe  betide  the 
man  that  marries  her  ;  but  if  he  loves  her  better  than 
her  havage,  he'll  go  his  way  and  care  nothing.  If  he 
looks  at  it  different,  and  thinks  the  matter  can't  rest 
there,  he'll  go  further.  For  my  part  I  can't  say  I  care 
much  about  it.  All  I  know  is  that  Priscilla  Lintern 
has  rare  virtues,  though  she  weren't  virtuous,  and 
she've  lived  on  no  bed  of  roses,  for  all  the  brave  way 
in  which  she  stands  up  for  my  late  brother.  She  won't 
be  sorry  the  murder's  out.  When  she  told  me  —  or 
when  I  told  her  —  I  made  it  plain  that  in  my  opinion 
this  ought  to  be  known.  She  stood  for  the  children, 
not  herself,  and  said  it  never  must  be  known  for 
their  sakes.  Well,  now  we  shall  see  who  hears  it  next. 
As  for  you  two,  you've  got  your  consciences,  and  it 
ban't  for  me  to  come  between  you  and  them." 

"  Well,  I've  told  my  story,  and  admitted  my  faiUngs 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  439 

like  a  man,"  said  Jack,  "and,  having  done  so,  I  can  do 
no  more.  My  conscience  is  cleared,  and  I  defy  it  to 
trouble  me  again  ;  and  I  may  add  that  I'll  take  mighty 
good  care  not  to  give  it  the  chance.  So  there  you  are. 
And  come  what  may,  I  can  stand  to  that." 

"  How  if  they  deny  it  and  have  you  up  for  libel  ?  " 
asked  Mr.  Baskerville  ;  but  Jack  flouted  the  idea. 

"Not  them,"  he  said.  "Have  no  fear  on  that 
score.  I've  got  this  woman  for  witness,  and  I've  got 
you.  For  that  matter,  even  if  'twas  known,  nobody 
wouldn't  die  of  astonishment.  Since  the  things  Eliza 
Gollop  said  after  Nathan  died,  'twould  come  as  a  very 
gentle  surprise,  I  believe.  And,  when  all's  said,  who's 
the  worse,  except  what  be  called  public  morals  ?  " 

Mr.  Baskerville  nodded. 

"  There's  some  sense  in  what  you  say.  Jack.  And 
I'm  glad  we're  friends  again.  And  now  I'm  going  to 
bed,  so  I'll  ax  you  to  be  gone." 

Head  rose,  finished  his  refreshment,  and  shook  Mr. 
Baskerville's  hand. 

"And  I'm  the  better  for  knowing  as  you've  been 
large-minded  enough  to  forgive  me,"  he  said.  "And 
as  you  can,  I  suppose  Susan  here  can.  I  know  I'm 
very  much  in  her  black  books,  and  I  deserve  that  too, 
and  I'd  make  it  up  to  her  in  any  way  I  can  —  except 
to  marry  her.  That  I  never  will  do  for  any  woman  as 
long  as  I  live." 

"  No,  and  never  will  get  the  chance  to,"  replied 
Susan;  "and  I  only  trust  to  God  'twill  all  die  out, 
and  we  hear  no  more  of  it." 

Head  turned  at  the  door  and  spoke  a  final  word. 

"  It  may  interest  you  to  know  that  everybody  have 
had  their  money  now  —  everybody  but  me  and  Thomas 
Coode,  the  drunken  farmer  at  Meavy.  'Tis  strange  I 
should  be  put  in  the  same  class  with  Coode;  but  so  it 
is.     However,  I've  larned  my  lesson.     I  shall  say  no 


44° 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS 


more  about  that.  Think  of  it  I  must,  being  but  mor- 
tal, but  speak  I  won't." 

"  You'll  do  well  to  forget  it,"  answered  Mr.  Basker- 
ville.  "  The  man,  or  woman  if  'twas  one,  be  probably 
settled  in  their  mind  not  to  pay  you  or  Coode  back  — 
since  you're  so  little  deserving." 

Jack  shrugged  his  shoulders,  but  kept  his  recent  prom- 
ise and  went  out  silently. 


CHAPTER   X 

A  J  AY,  with  flash  of  azure  and  rose,  fluttered  scream- 
ing along  from  point  to  point  of  a  coppice  hard 
by  Hawk  House,  and  Cora  Lintern  saw  it.  She 
frowned,  for  this  bird  was  associated  in  her  mind  with  a 
recent  and  an  unpleasant  incident.  Her  brother  Heath- 
man,  whose  disparate  nature  striking  against  her  own 
produced  many  explosions,  had  recently  told  her  that 
the  jay  was  her  bird  —  showy,  tuneless,  hard-hearted. 
She  remembered  the  occasion  of  this  attack,  but  for  the 
moment  had  no  energy  at  leisure  with  which  to  hate 
him;  for  difficulties  were  rampant  in  her  own  path,  and 
chance  began  to  treat  her  much  as  she  had  treated  other 
people  in  the  past. 

In  a  word,  her  lover  grew  colder.  As  yet  she  had 
no  knowledge  of  the  reason,  but  the  fact  could  not  be 
denied,  and  her  uneasiness  increased.  He  saw  some- 
what less  of  her,  and  he  made  no  effort  to  determine 
the  time  of  the  wedding.  Neither  did  he  invite  her  to 
do  so.  He  had  come  twice  to  see  Mrs.  Lintern  when 
Cora  was  not  by,  and  an  account  of  these  visits  was 
reported  by  her  mother. 

"  I  don't  exactly  know  why  he  dropped  in  either 
time,"  said  Mrs.  Lintern.  "  He  kept  talking  on  every- 
day matters,  and  never  named  your  name.  'Twas  cu- 
rious, in  fact,  the  way  he  kept  it  out.  All  business, 
but  nothing  about  the  business  of  marrying  you.  Yet 
there  was  plenty  on  his  mind,  I  do  believe.  I  should 
reckon  as  he'd  come  for  a  special  purpose,  but  finding 
himself  here,  it  stuck  in  his  throat.  He's  strong  with 
men,  but  weak  with  women.  Have  he  told  you  of 
aught  that's  fretting  him  ?  " 

441 


442 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS 


Her  daughter  could  remember  nothing  of  the  sort. 
Neither  did  she  confess  what  she  did  know  —  that 
Waite  was  unquestionably  cooler  than  of  old. 

"  'Tis  time  the  day  was  named,"  declared  Priscilla. 
"And  you'd  better  suggest  it  when  next  you  meet 
with  him." 

But  Cora  did  not  do  so,  because  there  was  much  in 
Timothy's  manner  that  told  her  he  desired  no  expedi- 
tion. Some  time  had  now  elapsed  since  last  she  saw 
him,  and  to-day  she  was  going,  in  obedience  to  a  note 
brought  by  a  labourer,  to  meet  him  at  the  Rut,  half  a 
mile  from  Coldstone  Farm.  That  he  should  have  thus 
invited  her  to  come  to  him  was  typical  of  the  change 
in  his  sentiments.  Formerly  he  would  have  walked 
or  ridden  to  her.  The  tone  of  his  brief  note  chilled 
her,  but  she  obeyed  it,  and  was  now  approaching  their 
tryst  at  evening  time  in  early  September. 

In  a  little  field  nigh  Hawk  House  she  heard  the 
purr  of  a  corn-cutting  machine.  It  was  clinking 
round  and  round,  shearing  at  each  revolution  a  slice 
from  the  island  of  oats  that  still  stood  in  the  midst  of 
a  sea  of  fallen  grain.  A  boy  drove  the  machine,  and 
behind  it  followed  Humphrey  Baskerville  and  Rupert. 
The  younger  man  had  come  over  to  help  garner  the 
crop.  Together  they  worked,  gathered  up  the  oats, 
and  set  them  in  little  sheaves.  The  waning  sunlight 
gilded  the  standing  oats.  Now  and  then  a  dog  barked 
and  darted  round  the  vanishing  island  in  the  midst, 
for  there  —  separated  from  safety  by  half  an  acre  of 
stubble  —  certain  rabbits  squatted  together,  and  waited 
for  the  moment  when  they  must  bolt  and  make  their 
final  run  to  death. 

Cora,  unseen,  watched  this  spectacle;  then  Mrs. 
Hacker  appeared  with  a  tray,  on  which  were  three 
mugs  and  a  jug  of  cider. 

The  girl  was  early  for  her    appointment,    but    she 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  443 

sauntered  forward  presently  and  marked  Timothy 
Waite  in  the  lower  part  of  the  valley. 

It  was  the  Rut's  tamest  hour  of  late  summer,  for 
the  brightness  of  the  flowers  had  ceased  to  shine  ;  the 
scanty  heath  made  little  display,  and  autumn  had  as 
yet  lighted  no  beacon  fire.  Stunted  thorn  trees  ripened 
their  harvest,  but  the  round  masses  of  the  greater  furze 
were  dim  ;  a  prevalent  and  heavy  green  spread  over 
the  Rut,  and  the  only  colour  contrast  was  that  pre- 
sented by  long  stretches  of  dead  brake  fern.  The 
litter  had  been  cut  several  weeks  before  and  allowed 
to  dry  and  ripen.  It  had  now  taken  upon  itself  a 
dark  colour,  widely  different  from  the  richer,  more 
lustrous,  and  gold-sprinkled  splendour  of  auburn  that 
follows  natural  death.  The  dull  brown  stuff  was  being 
raked  together  ready  for  the  cart ;  and  Cora,  from 
behind  a  furze  clump,  watched  her  sweetheart  carry 
immense  trusses  of  the  bracken  and  heave  them  up  to 
the  growing  pile  upon  a  wain  that  waited  for  the  load. 
All  she  could  see  was  a  pair  of  straight  legs  in  black 
gaiters  moving  under  a  little  stack  of  the  fern  ;  then 
the  litter  was  lifted,  to  reveal  Timothy  Waite. 

Presently  he  looked  at  his  watch  and  marked  that 
the  time  of  meeting  was  nearly  come.  Whereupon  he 
donned  his  coat,  made  tidy  his  neckcloth,  handed  his 
fork  to  a  labourer,  and  left  the  working  party.  He 
strolled  slowly  up  the  coomb  along  the  way  that  she 
must  approach,  while  she  left  her  hiding-place  and  set 
out  to  meet  him.  He  shook  hands,  but  he  did  not 
kiss  her,  and  he  did  not  look  into  her  eyes.  Instead, 
he  evaded  her  own  glance,  spoke  quickly,  and  walked 
quickly  in  unconscious  obedience  to  his  own  mental 
turmoil. 

"  I  can't  run,"  she  said.  "  If  you  want  me  to  hear 
what  you're  saying,  Timothy,  you  must  go  slower,  or 
else  sit  down  in  the  hedge." 


444  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

"  It's  terrible,"  he  answered.  "  It's  terrible,  and  it's 
made  an  old  man  of  me.  But  some  things  you 
seem  to  know  from  the  first  are  true,  and  some  you 
seem  to  know  are  not.  And  when  first  I  heard  it  I 
said  to  myself,  *  'Tis  a  damned  he  of  a  wicked  and 
venomous  man ' ;  but  then,  with  time  and  thought, 
and  God  knows  how  many  sleepless  nights,  I  got  to 
see  'twas  true  enough.  And  why  wasn't  I  told  ?  I 
ask  you  that.     Why  wasn't  I   told  ?  " 

Her  heart  sank  and  her  head  grew  giddy.  She 
translated  this  speech  with  lightning  intuition,  and 
knew  too  well  all  that  it  must  mean.  It  explained  his 
increasing  coolness,  his  absences  and  evasions.  It 
signified  that  he  had  changed  his  mind  upon  learning 
the  secret  of  the  Linterns. 

A  natural  feminine,  histrionic  instinct  made  her 
pretend  utmost  astonishment,  though  she  doubted 
whether  it  would  deceive  him. 

"What  you're  talking  about  I  haven't  the  slightest 
idea,"  she  said.  "  But  if  you  have  a  grievance,  so 
have  I — and  more  than  one.  You  wasn't  used  to 
order  me  here  and  there  six  weeks  ago.  'Twas  you 
that  would  come  and  see  me  then ;  now  I've  got  to 
weary  my  legs  to  tramp  to  do  your  bidding." 

He  paid  no  heed  to  her  protest. 

"  If  you  don't  understand,  then  you  must,  and  be- 
fore we  part,  too.  I  can't  go  on  like  this.  No  living 
man  could  do  it.  I  called  twice  to  see  your  mother 
about  it,  for  it  seemed  to  me  that  'twas  more  seemly  I 
should  speak  to  her  than  to  you ;  but  when  I  faced 
her  I  couldn't  open  my  mouth,  much  as  I  wanted  to 
do  so.  She  shook  me  almost,  and  I'd  have  been 
thankful  to  be  shook ;  but  'tis  the  craft  and  cunning 
of  the  thing  that's  too  much  for  me.  I've  been  hood- 
winked in  this,  and  no  doubt  laughed  at  behind 
my  back.     That's  what's  made  me  feel  as  I  do  now. 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  44J 

I  waited  and  hoped  on,  and  loved  you  for  years,  and  saw 
you  chuck  two  other  men,  and  found  I'd  got  you  at 
last,  and  reckoned  I  was  well  rewarded  for  all  my  pa- 
tience;  and  —  then  —  then  —  this " 

"  What  ?  This  what  ?  Are  you  mad  ?  What 
didn't  you  dare  to  speak  to  my  mother,  and  yet  you 
can  speak  to  me  ?  What  have  I  done  that's  set  you 
against  me?  What  sin  have  I  committed?  Don't 
think  I'm  blind.  I've  seen  you  cooling  off  clear 
enough,  and  for  the  life  of  me  I  couldn't  guess  the 
reason,  try  as  I  would  and  sorrow  about  it  as  1  would. 
But  since  you've  ordered  me  here  for  this,  perhaps 
you'll  go  straight  on  and  tell  me  what's  all  the  matter." 

"  I  want  you  to  answer  me  one  question.  The  an- 
swer you  must  know,  and  I  ask  you  to  swear  afore 
your  Maker  that  you'll  tell  me  the  truth.  Mind  this, 
I  know  the  truth.  It's  scorched  into  me  like  a  burn 
this  many  a  day.  But  I  must  hear  it  from  you  too, 
Cora." 

She  guessed  his  question,  and  also  guessed  that  in 
truth  lay  her  last  hope.  He  spoke  positively,  and  she 
doubted  not  that  he  knew.  His  fear  before  her 
mother  was  natural.  She  perceived  how  easily  a  man 
might  have  gone  to  a  woman  with  this  momentous 
question  on  his  mind,  and  how  naturally  the  presence 
of  the  woman  might  strike  him  dumb  at  the  actual 
meeting.  None  knew  better  than  Cora  how  different 
is  the  reality  of  a  conversation  with  a  fellow-creature 
from  the  imaginary  interview  formulated  before  the 
event.  There  was  but  one  problem  in  her  mind 
now  —  the  advantage  or  disadvantage  of  truth.  She 
judged  that  the  case  was  desperate,  but  that  her  only 
hope  lay  in  honesty. 

"  Speak,"  she  said.  "  And  I  swear  I'll  answer 
nought  but  the  truth  — if  I  know  the  truth." 

He  hesitated,  and  considered  her  answer.     He  was 


446  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

fond  of  her  still,  but  the  circumstance  of  this  deception, 
to  which  he  supposed  her  a  party,  had  gone  far  to 
shake  his  affection.  The  grievance  was  that  the  facts 
should  have  been  hidden  from  him  after  his  proposal. 
He  held  that  then  was  the  time  when  Cora's  paternity 
should  have  been  divulged.  He  believed  that  had  he 
known  it  then,  it  would  have  made  small  difference  to 
his  love.  It  was  not  so  much  the  fact  as  the  hiding 
of  the  fact  that  had  troubled  him. 

"  Who  was  your  father  ? "  he  asked  at  length,  and 
the  words  burst  out  of  him  in  a  heap,  like  an  explosion. 

"  I  know  who  he  was,"  she  answered. 

"  Name  him,  then." 

"You  see,  Timothy,  you  never  asked.  I  often 
thought  whether  there  was  any  reason  to  tell  you,  and 
often  and  often  I  felt  you  ought  to  know  ;  but  you're 
a  wise  and  far-seeing  man,  and  I  wasn't  the  only  one  to 
be  thought  on.  I'd  have  told  you  from  the  first,  even 
at  the  risk  of  angering  you,  but  there  was  mother. 
I  couldn't  do  it  —  knowing  what  she'd  feel.  I  was  a 
daughter  afore  I  was  a  sweetheart.  Would  yoii  have 
done  it  when  you  came  to  think  on  your  mother  ?  " 

"  Name  him." 

"  Nathan  Baskerville  was  my  father,  and  my  sister's 
and  brother's  father.  My  mother  was  his  wife  all  but 
in  name,  and  they  only  didn't  marry  because  it  meant 
losing  money.  You  understand  why  I  didn't  tell  you 
—  because  of  my  poor  mother.  Now  you  can  do  as 
you  please.  I'm  myself  anyway,  and  I'm  not  going 
to  suffer  for  another's  sins  more  than  I  can  help. 
There's  no  stain  on  me,  and  well  you  know  it." 

"  Nathan  was  your  father  ?  " 

"  He  was.  I  suppose  Heathman  told  you.  He's 
threatened  to  oft  enough." 

"  No  matter  for  that.  'Tis  so,  and  'twas  dehberately 
hidden  from  me." 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  447 

"  'Twas  hidden  from  all  the  world.  And  why  not  ? 
I  did  no  wrong  by  hiding  it,  feel  as  I  might.  There 
was  four  to  think  of." 

"  'Twasn't  hidden  from  all  the  world,  and  'tisn't 
hidden.  I  didn't  learn  it  from  Heathman.  You've 
brought  this  on  yourself  in  a  way.  If  you  hadn't 
quarrelled  with  a  certain  man  I  shouldn't  have  done  so 
either.  Jack  Head  told  me  after  I'd  thrashed  him  for 
insulting  you  ;  and  I  suppose  if  he  hadn't  I  might 
have  gone  to  church  with  you,  and  very  likely  gone  to 
my  grave  at  last,  and  never  known  what  you  was." 

"  I  should  have  told  you  when  my  mother  died." 

"  D'you  swear  that  ?  " 

"  I  tell  you  it  is  so.  I'm  going  to  swear  no  more 
at  your  bidding.  'Tis  for  me  to  speak  now.  You've 
cut  me  to  the  quick  to-day,  and  I  doubt  if  I  shall  ever 
get  over  it.  'Tisn't  a  very  manly  way  to  treat  an 
innocent  girl,  I  should  think.  However,  I  forgive 
everything  and  always  shall,  for  I  love  the  ground  you 
walk  on,  and  you  know  it,  and  'twasn't  from  any  wish 
to  treat  you  without  proper  respect  that  I  hid  away 
this  cruel  thing.  I  said  to  myself,  '  It  can't  hurt  dear 
Tim  not  to  know  it,  and  it  would  hurt  my  mother 
and  my  sister  terribly  if  'twas  known.'  So,  right  or 
wrong,  I  did  what  I  did ;  and  now  you're  in  judgment 
over  me,  and  I  can't  —  I  can't  live  another  moment, 
dear  Timothy,  till  I  know  how  you  feel  about  it." 

She  had  begun  in  a  spirit  rather  dictatorial,  but 
changed  swiftly  into  this  milder  appeal  when  she 
marked  the  expression  of  his  face.  He  was  prepared 
to  stand  little.  From  the  first  she  felt  almost  hopeless 
that  she  would  have  power  to  move  him. 

"  Who  told  Jack  Head  ?  "  asked  Timothy. 

"  God  knows.  My  brother,  I  should  think.  There's 
none  else  in  the  world  but  mother  and  Phyllis  that 
knew  it." 


448  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

"  Others  were  told,  but  not  me.  I  was  deceived  by 
all  of  you." 

"  That's  not  true,"  she  answered  as  her  fighting  in- 
stinct got  the  better  of  tact.  "  'Twasn't  to  deceive 
you  not  to  tell  you.  All  families  have  got  secrets  — 
yours  too." 

"  You  did  wrong  to  me.  'Tisn't  even  like  as  if  I 
was  nobody.  I  come  of  pretty  good  havage  on  my 
mother's  side,  and  I  think  a  lot  of  such  things." 

"  Well,  the  Baskervilles " 

"  Don't  be  foolish,  woman !  D'you  think  I'm 
?     There,  'tisn't  a  case   for  talk  that  I  can  see. 


The  thing  be  done  and  can't  be  undone.  I'd  have 
overlooked  it,  so  like  as  not,  if  you'd  made  a  clean 
breast  of  the  truth  when  I  offered  for  you ;  but  to  let 
me  go  on  blind  —  I  can't  forgive  that." 

Perceiving  what  had  hurt  him,  Cora  set  herself  to 
lessen  the  sting  as  much  as  possible ;  but  she  failed. 
They  talked  to  no  purpose  for  an  hour,  while  she  used 
every  argument  that  occurred  to  her,  and  he  opposed 
to  her  swift  mind  and  subtle  reasoning  a  blank,  impas- 
sive wall  of  sulky  anger  and  wounded  pride.  It  be- 
gan to  grow  dark  before  the  conclusion  came,  and  they 
had  walked  half-way  back  to  Shaugh.  At  the  top  of 
the  hill  he  left  her,  and  the  battle  ended  in  wrath  on 
both  sides  and  a  parting  irrevocable. 

Her  failure  it  was  that  made  Cora  lose  her  temper, 
and  when  she  did  so,  he,  thankful  for  the  excuse,  spoke 
harshly,  and  absolved  his  own  uneasy  spirit  for  so 
doing. 

The  final  scene  was  brief,  and  the  woman,  wearied 
in  mind  and  body  with  her  efforts  to  propitiate  him, 
drew  it  down  upon  them. 

"  Why  don't  you  speak  out  like  a  man,  then  ?  "  she 
said  at  last.  "  Why  d'you  keep  growling  in  your 
throat,  like  a  brute,  and  not  answering  my  questions  ? 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  449 

'Tis  because  you  can't  answer  them  in  right  and  justice. 
But  one  word  you've  got  to  find  a  tongue  to,  though 
well  you  may  be  shamed  to  do  it.  It  shan't  be  said 
I've  thrown  you  over,  if  that's  the  cowardly  thing 
you're  playing  up  for.  I  promised  to  marry  you,  and 
I  would  marry  you  ;  but  you  don't  want  to  marry  me, 
it  seems,  and  you've  pitched  on  this  paltry  thing  to  get 
out  of  it." 

"  '  Paltry  thing  ' !     You're  shameless." 

"  Yes,  it  is  paltry ;  and  everybody  would  say  so ; 
and  you'll  hear  what  decent  people  think  of  you  pretty 
soon  if  you  throw  me  over,  I  can  tell  you.  How  can 
a  child  help  its  own  father,  or  see  whether  its  parents  be 
properly  married  ?     You're  cruel  and  mad  both." 

"We'll  see,  then,"  he  answered.  "Since  you're 
bent  on  hearing  me  speak,  I  will.  And  don't  pretend 
as  I'm  growling  and  you're  not  hearing.  I'll  tell  you 
what  I  mean,  and  my  words  shall  be  as  clear  as  my 
mind  is  about  it.  I  won't  marry  you  now,  and  I 
wouldn't  if  you  was  all  you  ought  to  be.  I've  had  a 
taste  of  your  tongue  this  evening  that's  opened  my 
mind  a  good  bit  to  what  you  are.  You've  shown  me 
a  lot  more  about  yourself  than  you  think  for.  And 
if  I  did  growl,  like  a  brute,  my  ears  was  open  and  my 
wits  was  wide  awake,  like  a  man.  And  I  won't  marry 
you,  and  I've  a  perfect  right  not  to  do  so  after  this," 

"  You  dirty  coward  !  No,  you  shan't  marry  me,  and 
you  shouldn't  if  you  crawled  to  me  across  the  whole 
world  on  your  knees,  and  prayed  to  me  to  forgive  you. 
And  if  you're  well  out  of  it,  what  am  I  ?  And  don't 
you  think  you've  heard  the  last  of  this,  because  you 
have  not.  I've  got  good  friends  and  strong  friends  in 
the  world,  though  you'd  like  to  fancy  as  I  was  friend- 
less and  outcast,  for  men  like  you  to  spit  on.  But  I 
can  fight  my  own  battles  very  well,  come  to  that,  as 
you  shall  find  ;  and  I'll  have  you  up  for  breach,  God's 


450  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

my  judge ;  and  if  decent  men  don't  bring  in  proper, 
terrifying  damages  against  you,  I'll  ask  you  to  forgive 
me.  Yes,  I'll  make  your  name  laughed  at  from  one 
end  of  the  Moor  to  t'other,  as  you  shall  find  afore 
you'm  many  days  older." 

He  stood  still  before  this  threat,  and,  finding  that  he 
did  not  answer,  she  left  him  and  hastened  home. 

There  she  blazed  her  startling  news.  Cora's  own 
attitude  towards  the  truth  was  now  one  of  indifference. 
She  raged  against  her  fate,  and  for  the  time  being  could 
not  look  forward.  Phyllis  alone  displayed  grief.  She 
was  engaged  to  a  young  baker  at  Cornwood,  and  feared 
for  her  own  romance :  therefore  she  wept  and  revealed 
the  liveliest  concern.  But  Heathman,  perceiving  Pris- 
cilla's  indifference,  exhibited  the  like.  It  appeared  that 
mother  and  son  were  glad  rather  than  regretful  at 
this  escape  of  truth. 

Mrs.  Lintern,  however,  exhibited  exceeding  wonder,  if 
little  dismay.     She  was  sorry  for  Cora,  but  not  for  herself. 

"  I  had  a  feeling,  strong  as  death  in  me,  that  'twould 
come  to  light,"  she  said.  "  Somehow  I  always  knew 
that  the  thing  must  struggle  out  sometime.  Many 
and  many  actually  knew  it  in  their  hearts,  by  a  sort 
of  understanding  —  like  a  dog's  reason.  And  I  knew 
they  knew  it.  But  the  truth  was  never  openly  thrust 
in  my  face  till  he  died,  and  Eliza  Gollop  spoke  it. 
And,  she  being  what  she  is,  none  believed  her ;  and 
'twas  enough  that  she  should  whisper  scandal  for  the 
better  sort  to  flout  her  and  turn  a  deaf  ear.  And  now 
it's  out,  and  the  great  wonder  in  me  ban't  that  'tis  out, 
but  who  let  it  out.  For  the  moment  it  looks  as  if 
'twas  a  miracle  ;  yet,  no  doubt,  time  will  clear  that  too." 

"  I  suppose  you'll  go  now,"  said  Cora.  "  Anyway, 
if  you  don't,  I  shall.  There's  been  nought  but  trouble 
and  misery  for  me  in  this  hole  from  my  childhood 
upward." 


CHAPTER   XI 

THERE  visited  Cadworthy  Farm,  on  a  Sunday 
afternoon,  Priscilla  Lintern  with  her  son  and 
her  younger  daughter. 

They  came  unexpectedly,  though  Rupert  had  told 
Heathman  they  would  not  be  unwelcome.  May  was 
from  home,  and  the  business  of  preparing  tea  fell  upon 
Milly  Baskerville.  PhyUis  helped  Rupert's  wife  in 
this  operation,  and  while  they  were  absent  in  the 
kitchen  and  the  men  went  to  the  farm,  Hester  and 
Priscilla  spoke  together.  The  one  discussed  her  son, 
the  other  her  daughter  and  herself. 

"  I've  been  coming  over  to  see  you  this  longful 
time,"  said  Mrs.  Baskerville,  "  but  what  with  the 
weather  and  —  and " 

"The  things  that  are  being  said,  perhaps?" 

"  No,  not  them.  I'm  an  old  woman  now,  and  if 
I've  not  got  patience  at  my  age,  when  shall  I  get  it  ? 
Good  things  have  happed  to  me  —  better  than  I 
deserved  —  and  I'm  only  sorry  for  them  as  have  had 
less  fortune.  I  never  pay  no  heed  to  stories  at  any 
time.      My  master  taught  me  that." 

"  I  merely  want  to  tell  you  that  'tis  all  true.  For 
my  children's  sake  I  should  never  have  told  it,  but 
since  it  had  to  come  I'm  right  glad." 

"  I'd  rather  you  spared  yourself,"  said  Mrs.  Basker- 
ville. "  You've  had  enough  to  bear,  I  should  reckon. 
Leave  it.  I've  always  felt  a  very  great  respect  for  you, 
and  always  shall  do  so  ;  and  I've  no  wish  to  hear  any- 
thing about  it.  Well  I  know  what  men  are,  and  what 
life  is.     He  was  lucky  —  lucky  in  you  and  lucky  in  his 

451 


452  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

brothers.  What  he  took  away  from  me,  Humphrey 
has  given  back.  Now  we'll  go  on  as  before.  Mr. 
Waite  have  thrown  your  maiden  over,  I  hear.  What's 
she  going  to  do  ?  " 

"  Thank  you  for  being  kind,"  answered  Mrs.  Lintern. 
"  I've  been  a  good  deal  astonished  to  find  how  easily 
the  people  have  took  this  thing.  The  world's  a 
larger-minded  place  than  I,  for  one,  had  any  idea  of. 
The  neighbours,  save  here  and  there,  seem  to  be  like 
you,  and  reckon  that  'tis  no  business  of  theirs.  My 
son's  terrible  pleased  that  it  have  got  out ;  and  the 
young  man  who  is  going  to  marry  Phyllis  don't  mean 
to  alter  his  plans.  And  your  brother  is  glad  also,  I 
suppose,  for  he  wished  it.  But  to  Cora,  this  business 
of  being  flung  over  hit  her  very  hard,  and  she  wanted 
to  bring  an  action  for  breach  of  promise  against  Timo- 
thy. She  went  to  see  Mr.  Popham  about  it ;  only 
he  didn't  seem  to  think  she'd  get  much,  and  advised 
her  to  do  no  such  thing." 

"  Why  ban't  she  along  with  you  to-day  ?  " 

"  She  won't  go  nowhere.  She'll  be  ofi^  pretty  soon 
to  a  milliner's  to  Plymouth.  She  wants  to  clear  away 
from  everything  so  quick  as  may  be." 

"  Natural  enough.  Let  her  go  in  a  shop  somewhere 
and  begin  again.      My  Ned,  I  may  tell  you,  have  found 

"Work,  I  hope?" 

"  No.  Another  girl  to  marry  him.  It  looks  as  if 
it  might  go  through  this  time,  though  I  can't  see  him 
really  married  after  all  his  adventures  with  the  maidens. 
'Tis  the  daughter  of  the  livery-stable  keeper  at  Tavi- 
stock. And  she's  the  only  one  —  and  King  —  that's 
her  father's  name  —  worships  the  ground  she  goes  on. 
It's  like  to  happen  after  Christmas.  And  Ned's 
been  straight  about  it,  and  he've  broke  in  a  young 
horse  or  two  very  clever  for   Mr.   King,  so  I  suppose 


THE    THREE    BROTHERS  453 

he'll  let  them  wed  for  the  girl's  sake.  He's  there 
to-day." 

Mrs.  Lintern  nodded. 

"  Where's  May  ?  "  she  asked.     "  Away  too?  " 

"  Only  till  evening.  She's  drinking  tea  along  with 
her  Uncle  Humphrey  at  Hawk  House." 

"  A  strange  man  he  is." 

"  'Tis  strange  for  any  man  to  be  so  good." 

"  He  first  found  out  about  me  and  his  brother.  And 
how  d'you  reckon  ?  From  Cora.  His  sharp  eyes 
saw  her  father  in  her  long  before  Nathan  died.  I've 
been  to  Hawk  House  since  it  came  out.  He  was  con- 
tent that  Cora  had  suffered  so  sharp,  and  said  so." 

"He  thinks  a  great  deal  of  you  and  Heathman, 
however." 

Milly  brought  the  tea  at  this  moment  and  called 
Heathman  and  Rupert,  who  were  smoking  in  the 
farmyard.  They  appeared,  and  Milly's  baby  was 
carried  to  join  the  company.  Rupert  showed  the  cup 
that  his  godfather  had  given  to  the  child. 

The  Baskervilles  made  it  clear  that  they  designed 
no  change  in  their  relations  with  Mrs.  Lintern.  A 
sharp  estrangement  had  followed  Ned's  jilting,  but 
that  belonged  to  the  past.  Amity  reigned,  and  Milly 
expressed  regret  at  Mrs.  Lintern's  determination  to 
leave  Shaugh  Prior  in  the  following  spring. 

"They'll  both  begone  —  both  girls,"  she  explained, 
"  and  Heathman  here  haven't  got  no  need  of  a  wife 
yet,  he  says,  so  he  and  I  shall  find  a  smaller  and  a 
cheaper  place  than  Undershaugh." 

"Cora  will  marry  yet,"  foretold  Rupert.  "Third 
time's  lucky,  they  say." 

"  'Twill  be  the  fourth  time,"  corrected  Milly. 

They  ate  and  drank,  and  spoke  on  general  subjects; 
then  the  Linterns  prepared  to  start,  and  Priscilla 
uttered  a  final  word  to  Hester  before  the  younger  people. 


454 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS 


"  I  thank  you  for  letting  the  past  go.  There  was 
but  few  mattered  to  me,  and  you  were  the  first  of 
them." 

They  departed,  and  the  Baskervilles  talked  about 
them. 

Behind  her  back,  they  spoke  gently  of  Priscilla,  and 
old  Mrs.  Baskerville  revealed  even  a  measure  of  im- 
agination in  her  speech. 

"  The  worst  was  surely  after  he  sank  into  his  grave 
and  the  storm  broke,"  said  Hester.  "  To  think  she 
was  standing  there,  his  unknown,  unlawful  wife,  yet  a 
wife  in  spirit,  with  all  a  wife's  love  and  ail  a  wife's 
belief  in  him.  To  think  that  her  ear  had  to  hear,  and 
her  heart  had  to  break,  and  her  mouth  had  to  be 
dumb.  Gall  and  vinegar  that  woman  have  had  for 
her  portion  these  many  days  —  yet  she  goes  un- 
soured." 

"  She's  got  a  rare  good  son  to  stand  by  her," 
declared  Rupert. 

"  And  so  have  I,"  murmured  Milly,  squeezing  the 
baby  who  was  sucking  her  breast. 

"  And  I've  got  four,"  answered  Mrs.  Baskerville. 
"  Four  brave  boys  —  one  on  sea  and  three  on  land. 
Things  be  divided  curious ;  but  our  part  is  to  thank 
God  for  what  we've  got,  and  not  worry  because  them 
that  deserve  more  have  so  much  less.  That's  His 
work,  and  the  balance  will  swing  true  again  in  His 
own  good  time." 

Elsewhere,  upon  their  journey  home,  the  Linterns 
fell  in  with  May.  She  was  excited,  and  turned  back 
and  walked  beside  them  for  half  a  mile. 

"  I'm  just  bursting  with  news,"  she  said,  "  and  I 
hope  you  haven't  heard  it." 

"  The  world  be  full  of  news,"  answered  Heathman. 
"  There's  a  bit  down  to   Shaugh  as   I   meant  to  tell 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  455 

Rupert  just  now  and  forgot,  owing  to  press  of  other 
matters.  It  proves  as  I'm  a  prophet  too,  for  I've  said 
this  three  year  that  it  was  bound  to  happen.  And 
that  disgrace  in  the  churchyard  over  my  father's  grave 
have  brought  it  to  a  cHmax.  I  mean  Tommy  Gollop 
and  that  other  old  rip,  Joe  Voysey.  Both  have  got 
the  sack !  The  reverend  Masterman  have  hit  out 
right  and  left  and  floored  the  pair  of  'em.  Mind  you 
tell  Rupert  that.  'Twill  make  him  die  of  laughing. 
The  old  boys  be  showing  their  teeth  too,  I  promise 
you. 

"  I'll  tell  him." 

"And  what  was  your  news  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Lintern. 

"  Very  good ;  yet  perhaps  no  news  neither  to  many 
folk  who  understand  things  better  than  me.  Yet  I'd 
often  thought  in  my  mind  that  'twas  my  uncle  Hum- 
phrey clearing  off  Uncle  Nathan's " 

She  stopped,  brought  to  silence  by  the  recollection 
of  their  relationship. 

"  Say  it,"  said  Priscilla.  "  I  know  what's  on  your 
lips.      Don't  fear  to  say  it." 

"  That  'twas  Uncle  Humphrey  made  all  right,"  con- 
tinued May.  "  And  paid  back  what  had  been  lost. 
We  can't  say  how  it  might  have  gone  if  Uncle  Nathan 
had  lived.  No  doubt,  sooner  or  late,  he'd  have  done 
the  same,  for  never  would  he  let  man  or  woman  suffer 
if  he  could  help  it.  Anyway,  all  be  in  the  fair  way  to 
have  their  money  again.  And  I  asked  Lawyer  Pop- 
ham  long  ago,  when  he  came  to  Cadworthy,  who  'twas, 
and  he  wouldn't  say ;  but  had  no  doubt  we  could 
guess.  And  then  I  asked  Susan  Hacker,  and  she 
wouldn't  say,  but  yet  came  so  near  saying  that  there 
was  little  left  to  know.  And  to-day  I  tackled  Uncle 
Humphrey  and  gave  him  no  peace  till  'twas  out.  *  To 
please  himself  he's  done  it." 

She  panted  for  breath,  and  then  continued  — 


456  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

"  And  there's  more  yet.  'Twas  him  paid  up  my 
married  sister's  legacy,  and  even  Ned's  not  forgot  — 
for  justice.  And  when  Uncle  Humphrey  dies  —  and 
far  be  it  off —  my  brother  Rupert's  to  have  Cadworthy  ! 
I  got  that  out  of  him  too.  But  I've  solemnly  promised 
not  to  tell  Rupert.     He's  going  to  tell  him  himself." 

"  A  useful  old  fairy,  and  no  mistake,"  laughed  Heath- 
man.  "  He'll  beggar  himself  afore  he's  finished,  and 
then  you'll  all  have  to  set  to  work  to  keep  him  out  of 
the  workhouse  !  " 

"He  said  that  very  thing,"  answered  May,  "and 
Susan  said  the  same.  Not  that  it  makes  any  difference 
to  him,  for  he  hasn't  got  any  comforts  round  him,  and 
gets  savage  if  you  ask  him  so  much  as  to  take  a  hot 
brick  to  bed  with  him  to  warm  himself  in  winter." 

"  All  these  things,"  said  Mrs.  Lintern,  "  have  been 
done  for  honour  of  the  name.  Your  folk  go  back  along 
far  —  far  into  the  past,  and  there's  never  been  a  cloud 
between  them  and  honest  dealing.  But,  when  Heath- 
man's  father  was  cut  off  with  his  work  unfinished,  it 
happed  that  he  left  no  money,  and  the  many  things 
that  he  had  planned  all  fell  short,  without  his  master- 
mind to  pick  up  the  threads  and  bring  them  through. 
Then  came  Humphrey  Baskerville,  and  for  love  of 
his  brother  and  for  love  of  the  name,  did  these  good 
deeds.  And  to  beggar  himself  in  money  be  nought  in 
the  eyes  of  that  man,  if  he  leaves  his  family  rich  in  credit 
afore  the  eyes  of  the  world.  Such  another  was  your 
own  father.  May  ;  and  such  another  is  your  brother 
Rupert;  and  such  another  was  your  cousin  Mark. 
They  had  their  own  sight  and  looked  at  the  world 
their  own  way  and  all  saw  it  different,  maybe  ;  but 
they  never  saw  justice  different." 

"  And  such  be  I,"  declared  Heathman.  "  I  can't 
call  myself  a  Baskerville,  and  shan't  get  no  thinner  for 
that;  but  I'm  the  son  of  my  mother,  and  she's  worth  a 


THE    THREE   BROTHERS  457 

shipload  of  any  other  sort  —  better  than  the  whole 
flight  of  you  Baskervilles,  May  —  good  though  you  be. 
And  I'm  very  well  pleased  to  be  kin  to  you  all,  if  you 
like,  and  if  you  don't  like,  you  can  leave  it." 

They  parted  then,  and  May  returned  home.  Heath- 
man  showed  himself  highly  gratified  at  what  he  had 
heard,  and  his  sister  shared  his  satisfaction.  But  their 
mother  was  sunk  deep  in  the  hidden  places  of  her  own 
heart,  and  they  left  her  alone  while  they  spoke  together. 


CHAPTER   XII 

JOE  VOYSEY  walked   over   one  evening   to   talk 
with    his    lifelong    friend    Thomas    Gollop.     The 
gardener  felt  choked  to  the  throat  with  injustice, 
and  regarded  his  dismissal  from  the  vicarage  as  an  out- 
rage upon  society  ;  while  Mr.  Gollop  laboured  under 
similar  emotions. 

Both  declared  that  the  ingratitude  of  Dennis  Master- 
man  was  what  principally  stung  them.  To  retire  into 
private  life  caused  them  no  pain  ;  but  to  have  been 
invited  to  do  so  was  a  bitter  grievance. 

Miss  Eliza  Gollop  chanced  to  be  out,  and  Thomas 
sat  by  the  fire  alone.  His  Bible  stood  on  the  table, 
but  he  was  not  reading  it.  Only  when  Voysey's 
knock  sounded  at  the  cottage  door  did  Thomas  wheel 
round  from  the  fire,  open  the  book  and  appear  to  be 
buried  in  its  pages. 

He  had  rather  expected  a  visit  from  Mr.  Master- 
man,  hence  these  preparations ;  but  when  Voysey 
entered,  Thomas  modified  his  devout  attitude  and 
shut  the   Bible  again. 

"  I  half  thought  as  that  wretched  man  from  the 
vicarage  might  call  this  evening,"  he  said. 

"  He  won't,  then,"  replied  Joe,  "  for  he've  got  to- 
gether all  they  fools  who  have  fallen  in  with  his  wish 
about  yowling  carols  at  Christmas.  Him  and  her  be 
down  at  the  schoolroom ;  and  there's  row  enough 
rising  up  to  fright  the  moon." 

"  Carol-sinorino; !  I  wish  the  time  was  come  for 
him  to  sing  to  his  God  for  mercy,"  said  Thomas. 

Then  he  went  to  a  cupboard  and  brought  out  a 
bottle  of  spirits. 

458 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  459 

"  Have  he  said  anything  to  you  about  a  pension  ?  " 
asked  Voysey. 

"  No,  not  yet.  I  thought  he  might  be  coming  in 
about  that  to-night.  My  father  afore  me  got  a  pen- 
sion—  a  shining  a  day  for  Hfe  —  and  I  ought  to  have 
twice  as  much,  in  my  opinion,  though  1  don't  expect 
it.  And  when  I've  got  all  I  can,  I'm  going  to  shake 
the  dust  ofF  my  boots  against  the  man  and  his  church 
too.  Never  again,  till  I'm  carried  in  to  my  grave, 
will  I  go  across  the  threshold  —  not  so  long  as  he  be 
there.  I'm  going  to  take  up  with  the  Dissenters,  and 
I  advise  you  to  do  the  same." 

"  That  woman  have  told  me  about  my  pension," 
answered  Joe  —  "  Alice  Masterman,  I  mean.  I  won't 
call  her  *  Miss  '  no  more,  for  'tis  too  respectful. 
She've  worked  on  her  brother  —  so  she  says  —  to 
give  me  three  half-crowns  a  week.  But  I  doubt  she 
had  anything  to  do  with  it  —  such  a  beastly  stinge  as 
her.  However,  that's  the  money  ;  and  who  d'you 
think  they've  took  on  ?  That  anointed  fool  the 
policeman's  brother  !  He've  been  learning  a  lot  of 
silliness  down  to  a  nurseryman  at  Plymouth,  and  he'm 
coming  here,  so  bold  as  brass,  and  so  noisy  as  a  drum, 
to  show  what  can  be  done  with  that  garden.  And  if 
I  don't  look  over  the  wall  sometimes  and  have  a  laugh 
at  him,  'tis  pity  !  " 

Gollop  nodded  moodily,  but  he  did  not  answer. 
Then  Joe  proceeded  with  malevolent  glee. 

"  I  clear  out  on  the  last  day  of  the  year,"  he  said  ; 
"  and  if  I   haven't  picked  the  eyes  out  of  his  garden 

and  got  'em  settled  in  my  patch   afore  that  day ! 

She  met  me  taking  over  a  lot  of  mint  plants  a  bit  ago. 

*  Where  be  you  taking  they  mint  plants  ? '  she  said. 

*  To  a  neighbour,'  I  said.  '  He  wants  'em,  and  we 
can  spare  'em.'  '  You'll  ask  me,  please,  before  you 
give  things  away,  Voysey,'  she  said.     And  now  I  ax. 


460  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

humble  as  a  maggot,  if  I  may  take  this  or  that  to 
a  neighbour  afore  I  move  a  leaf  And  she  always 
says,  '  Yes,  if  we  can  spare  it.'  Had  her  there  — 
eh?" 

"  As  for  me,"  said  Gollop,  "  I  shall  be  the  last  reg- 
ular right  down  parish  clerk  we  ever  have  —  unless 
the  good  old  times  come  back  later.  A  sexton  he 
must  use,  since  people  have  got  to  be  buried,  but  who 
'twill  be  I  neither  know  nor  care." 

"  Mind  you  take  the  tools,"  said  Joe.  "They  be 
fairly  your  property,  and  you  can  sell  'em  again  if  you 
don't  want  'em  yourself  I've  made  a  good  few  shil- 
lings that  way  during  the  last  forty  years.  But  as  for 
leaving  the  church,  I  shouldn't  do  that,  because  of  the 
Christmas  boxes.  'Tis  well  knowed  in  Shaugh  that 
your  Christmas  boxes  run  into  a  tidy  figure,  and  some 
people  go  so  far  as  to  say  that  what  you  take  at  the 
door,  when  the  bettermost  come  out  after  Christmas 
morning  prayer,  is  pretty  near  so  good  as  what  be 
dropped  in  the  bags  for  the  offerings." 

"  Lies,"  declared  Thomas.  "  All  envious  lies.  I 
never  got  near  what  the  people  thought.  Still,  1 
hadn't  remembered.  That's  yet  another  thing  where 
he'll  have  robbed  me." 

When  Miss  Eliza  Gollop  appeared  half  an  hour 
later,  she  was  cold  and  dispirited. 

"  What  be  you  doing  in  here  ? "  she  said  to  Mr. 
Voysey. 

"  Having  a  tell  with  Thomas.  We  be  both  wish- 
ing to  God  we  could  strike  them  hateful  people  to  the 
vicarage.  Harm  be  bound  to  come  to  'em,  for  their 
unchristian  ways;  but  me  and  your  brother  would  like 
to  be  in  it." 

"You'll  be  in  it  alone,  then,"  she  answered;  "for 
this  place  have  gone  daft  where  they're  concerned. 
They  can't   do   no  wrong   seemingly  —  except  to   us. 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  461 

The  people  babble  about  him,  and  even  her,  as  if  they 
was  angels  that  had  lost  their  wings." 

"  'Tis  all  lax  and  lawless  and  going  to  the  dogs," 
said  Thomas.  "  There's  no  truth  and  honesty  and 
manliness  left  in  Shaugh.  The  man  found  a  human 
thigh-bone  kicking  about  up  under  the  top  hedge  of 
the  churchyard  yesterday.  Lord  knows  where  it  had 
come  from.  I  never  seed  it  nowhere  ;  but  he  turned 
on  me  and  said  'twas  sacrilege,  and  I  know  not  what 
else.  'Where  there's  churchyards,  there'll  also  be 
bones,'  I  said  to  the  fool  ;  *  and  if  one  here  and  there 
works  to  the  top,  along  of  the  natural  heaving  of  the 
earth,  how  can  a  sexton  or  any  other  man  help  it  ^ ' 
A  feeble  creature,  and  making  the  young  men  feeble 
too.  Carol-singing  !  Who  wants  carols  ?  However, 
I've  done  with  him.  I've  stood  between  him  and  his 
folly  time  and   again ;  but  never  no  more.      Let  him 

"  'Tis  a  knock-kneed  generation,"  declared  Mr. 
Voysey.  "  All  for  comfort  and  luxury.  Tea,  with 
sugar  in  it,  have  took  the  place  of  the  good,  honest, 
sour  cider  like  what  every  man  had  in  harvest  days 
of  old.  But  now,  these  here  young  youths,  they  say 
sharp  cider  turns  their  innards  !  It  never  used  to  turn 
ours.  'Tis  all  of  a  piece,  and  the  nation's  on  the  down- 
ward road,  along  of  too  much  cosseting." 

"  For  my  part,  I  think  'tis  more  the  weakness  of 
mind  than  the  weakness  of  body  that  be  ruining  us," 
observed  Miss  Gollop.  "  As  a  nurse  I  see  more  than 
you  men  can,  and,  as  a  female,  I  hear  more  than  you 
do.  And  I  will  say  that  the  way  the  people  have 
taken  these  here  doings  of  that  scarlet  woman  to 
Undershaugh  is  a  sin  and  a  scandal.  At  first  they 
wouldn't  believe  it,  though  I  blew  the  trumpet  of 
truth  in  their  ears  from  the  moment  that  Dissenter 
died ;  but,  afterwards,  when  'twas  known  as  a  fact  and 


462  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

the  parties  couldn't  deny  it,  and  Mr.  Waite  throwed 
over  Cora  Lintern,  as  any  respecting  man  would  when 
he  heard  the  shameful  truth  —  then  who  came  to  me 
and  said,  *  Ah,  you  was  right,  Eliza,  and  I  was  wrong'  ? 
Not  one  of  'em  !  And  what's  worse  is  the  spirit  they've 
taken  it  in.  Nobody  cares,  though  everybody  ought 
to  care !  " 

"  Every  person  says  'tis  none  of  their  business," 
explained  Voysey. 

"  More  shame  to  'em  !  "  declared  Thomas.  "  As  if 
it  wasn't  the  business  of  all  decent  men  and  women. 
Time  was  when  such  an  incontinent  terror  of  a  woman 
would  have  been  stoned  out  of  the  village  in  the  name 
of  law  and  righteousness.  Yet  now,  mention  the  thing 
where  I  will,  'tis  taken  with  a  heathen  calmness  that 
makes  my  blood  boil.  And  Masterman  worst  of  all, 
mind !  If  it  wasn't  a  case  for  a  scorching  sermon,  when 
was  there  one?  Yet  not  a  word.  And  not  a  word 
from  the  Dissenters  neither — not  in  the  meeting-house 
—  though  'tis  a  subject  they'm  very  great  against  most 
times.  However,  I've  inquired  and  I  find  it  has  been 
passed  over." 

"  No  godly  anger  anywhere,"  admitted  Eliza,  "  and 
not  one  word  of  sorrow  to  me  for  the  hard  things  what 
were  spoken  when  I  stood  up  single-handed  and  told 
the  truth." 

"  Religion  be  dying  out  of  the  nation,"  summed  up 
Thomas.  "  My  father  always  said  that  me  and  Eliza 
would  live  to  see  antichrist  ascend  his  throne ;  and  it 
begins  to  look  as  if  the  times  were  very  near  ripe  for 
the  man.  And  'twill  be  harder  than  ever  now — now 
I'm  driven  out  from  being  parish  clerk.  For  I  shall 
have  to  look  on  and  yet  be  powerless  to  strike  a 
blow." 

They  drank  in  gloomy  silence ;  but  Mr.  Voysey 
was  not  similarly  oppressed  by  the  moral  breakdown 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  463 

of  the  times.  He  strove  to  bring  conversation  back  to 
the  vicarage,  and  failing  to  do  so,  soon  took  his  leave. 

After  he  had  gone  the  brother  and  sister  debated 
long,  and  Thomas  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  it  would 
be  well  for  them  to  leave  Shaugh  and  end  their  days 
in  a  more  Christian  and  congenial  atmosphere. 

"  There's  nought  to  keep  us  now,"  he  said ;  "  all 
have  gone  down  afore  that  Masterman,  and  'tis  some- 
thing of  a  question  whether  such  as  we  ought  to  bide 
here,  simply  as  common  folk  with  no  more  voice  in 
the  parish.  If  we  go,  the  blame  lies  on  his  shoulders; 
but  once  I  make  up  my  mind,  I  won't  stop  —  not 
though  the  people  come  before  me  and  beg  on  their 
bended  knees  for  me  to  do  so." 

"  'Twould  be  like  Adam  and  Eve  being  driven  out 
of  the  Garden  if  we'm  forced  to  go,"  declared  Eliza. 

"  With  this  difference,  however,  that  the  blame  ban't 
with  us,  though  the  punishment  may  be.  There's  no- 
body can  say  we've  ever  done  wrong  here,  or  gone  outside 
our  duty  to  God  or  man  by  a  hair.  If  we  go,  'tis  them 
that  drive  us  out  will  have  to  pay  for  their  wickedness." 

"  They'll  certainly  smart,  if  'tis  only  in  the  long 
run,"  confessed  Eliza.  "  'Twill  be  brought  home 
against  them  at  the  appointed  time." 

Thomas  nodded  drearily. 

"  Cold  comfort,"  he  said,  "  but  the  only  satisfaction 
there  is  to  be  got  out  of  it  by  us.  Yes,  I  shall  go  ;  I 
shall  shake  off  the  dust  for  a  witness.  I  wish  I 
thought  as  'twould  choke  a  party  here  and  there;  but, 
thank  God,  I  know  my  place.  I  never  offered  to  do 
His  almighty  work,  and  I  never  will.  I  never  wanted 
to  call  down  thunder  from  heaven  on  the  evil-doer. 
But  'tis  always  a  tower  of  faith  to  a  righteous  man 
when  he  sees  the  Lord  strike.  And  to  them  as  be 
weak  in  faith,  'tis  often  a  puzzle  and  a  temptation  to 
see  how  long  the  Lord  holds  off,  when  justice  cries 
aloud  to  Him  to  rise  up  and  do  His  worst." 


CHAPTER   XIII 

AT  the  approach  of  another  Christmas,  Humphrey 
Baskerville  stood  in  the  churchyard  of  St.  Ed- 
ward's and  watched  two  masons  lodge  the  stone 
that  he  had  raised  to  his  brother  Nathan.  It  con- 
formed to  the  usual  pattern  of  the  Baskerville  memo- 
rials, and  was  of  slate.  The  lettering  had  been  cut  deep 
and  plain  without  addition  of  any  ornament.  The 
accidental  severity  and  simplicity  of  the  stone  con- 
trasted to  advantage  with  Vivian's  ornate  and  tasteless 
marble  beside  it. 

Dennis  Masterman  walked  across  the  churchyard 
presently  and,  seeing  Humphrey,  turned  and  ap- 
proached. 

"  Good  morning,"  he  said.  "  Glad  you've  put  a 
slate  here.  I  Hke  them  better  than  these  garish  things. 
They  are  more  suited  to  this  grey  Moor  world  of 
ours." 

"'Tis  a  foolish  waste  to  spend  money  on  the  dead," 
answered  Mr.  Baskerville.  "  When  all  the  living  be 
clothed  and  fed,  then  we  can  fling  away  our  money 
over  graves.  'Tis  only  done  to  please  ourselves,  not 
to  please  them." 

"  You've  a  right  to  speak,"  said  the  clergyman. 
"  To  praise  you  would  be  an  impertinence ;  but  as  the 
priest  of  Him  we  both  worship,  I  rejoice  to  think  of 
what  you  have  done  to  clear  the  clouded  memory  of 
this  man." 

Humphrey  took  no  verbal  notice  of  these  remarks. 
He  shrugged  his  shoulders  and  spoke  of  the  grave- 
stone. 

464 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  465 

"  I'll  thank  you  to  read  what  I've  put  over  him, 
and  say  whether  'tis  not  right  and  just." 

The  other  obeyed.  After  particulars  of  Nathan's 
age  and  the  date  of  his  death,  there  followed  only  the 
first  verse  of  the  forty-first  Psalm  — 

"  Blessed  is  he  that  considereth   the  -poor:   the   Lord 
will  deliver  him  in  time  of  troubled 

"You  see,"  explained  Mr.  Baskerville,  "my  brother 
did  consider  the  poor — and  none  else.  That  he  made 
a  botch  of  it,  along  of  bad  judgment  and  too  much 
hope  and  too  much  trust  in  himself,  is  neither  here  nor 
there;  for  I  hold  his  point  of  view  was  well-meaning 
though  ^mistaken.  If  we  see  a  man's  point  of  view,  it 
often  leads  —  I  won't  say  to  mercy,  for  that's  no  busi- 
ness of  ours  in  my  opinion  —  but  to  the  higher  justice. 
To  judge  by  results  is  worldly  sense,  but  I'm  doubtful 
if 'tis  heavenly  sense.  Anyway,  that's  how  I  feel  about 
my  brother  now,  though  'twas  only  brought  home  to 
me  after  a  year  of  thinking;  and  as  for  the  end  of  the 
text,  certainly  that  happened,  because  none  can  doubt 
the  Lord  delivered  him  in  the  time  of  trouble.  His 
death  was  a  deliverance,  as  every  death  must  be,  but 
none  more  than  Nathan's  afore  the  tempest  broke." 

Masterman  —  knowing  as  little  as  the  other  what 
Nathan's  death  had  brought  to  Nathan  of  mental  agony 
before  the  end — conceded  these  points  freely.  They 
walked  together  in  the  churchyard  and  spoke  of  moral 
topics  and  religious  instruction.  At  a  point  in  the  en- 
closure, the  younger  stopped  and  indicated  a  space 
remote  from  the  lodges  of  the  silent  people. 

"You  design  to  lie  here  — is  it  not  so?  Gollop,  I 
remember,  told  me,  a  long  time  ago  now." 

The  old  man  regarded  the  spot  indifferently  and 
shook  his  head. 

"  I  meant  it  once  —  not    now.      We    change    our 

2  H 


466  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

most  fixed  purposes  under  the  battering  of  the  world  ; 
and  small  enough  our  old  thoughts  often  look,  when 
seen  again,  after  things  have  happened  and  years  have 
passed.  I'll  creep  to  join  my  own,  if  you  please. 
They  won't  mind,  I  reckon,  if  I  sink  into  the  pit 
beside  'em.  I'll  go  by  my  wife  and  my  son  and  my 
brothers.  We'll  all  rise  and  brave  the  Trump  to- 
gether, as  well  as  erring  man  may." 

The  stone  was  set  in  its  place  presently  and  Mr. 
Baskerville,  well  pleased  with  the  result,  set  off  home- 
ward. His  tethered  pony  stood  at  the  gate,  and  he 
mounted  and  went  slowly  up  the  hill. 


CHAPTER   XIV 

"  C^OME  say  they  believe  the  old  saying  and  some 
1^  say  they  don't,"  declared  Mr.  Abraham  Elford 
to  a  thin  bar  at  six  o'clock  on  Christmas  Eve ;  "  but 
for  my  part  I  know  what  I've  proved  to  be  true  with 
my  own  eyes,  and  I  will  stick  to  it  that  apples  picked 
at  wane  of  moon  do  shrivel  and  scrump  up  cruel.  In 
fact,  for  hoarding  they  be  no  use  at  all." 

"And  you  swear  that  you've  proved  that?"  asked 
Mr.  Head  in  his  most  judicial  manner.  "  You  stand 
there,  a  man  up  home  sixty  years  of  age,  and  stead- 
fastly declare  that  apples  gathered  when  the  moon  be 
on  the  wane  do  dry  up  quicker  than  others  that  be 
plucked  when  it  begins  to  grow  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  do,"  declared  the  innkeeper.  "  Don't  I 
tell  you  that  I've  proved  it  ?  Pick  your  apples  when 
the  moon  be  first  horning,  that's  my  advice." 

They  wrangled  upon  the  question,  and  missed  its 
real  interest  as  an  example  of  the  value  of  evidence 
and  the  influence  of  superstition  and  individual  idio- 
syncrasy on  all  human  testimony. 

Jack  scoffed,  Abraham  Elford  grew  warm  ;  for  who 
is  there  that  can  endure  to  hear  his  depositions 
brushed  aside  as  worthless  ? 

Upon  this  great  topic  of  the  shrinking  of  apples  at 
wane  of  moon,  some  sided  with  Mr.  Head;  while 
others,  who  held  lunar  influence  as  a  force  reaching 
into  dark  mysteries  of  matter  and  mind,  supported  the 
publican. 

The  contention  was  brisk,  and  not  until  it  began  to 
interfere  with  the  nightly  sale  of  his  liquor,  did   Elford 

467 


468  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

awake  to  its  danger  and  stop  it.  He  conceded  nothing, 
but  declared  the  argument  must  cease. 

"  'Tis  Christman  Eve,"  said  he,  "  and  no  occasion 
for  any  short  words  or  sharp  sayings.  Me  and  Head 
both  know  that  we'm  right,  and  mountains  wouldn't 
move  either  of  us  from  our  opinions,  so  let  it  be." 

He  lifted  a  great  earthen  pot  from  the  fire  in  the  bar 
parlour.  It  contained  cider  with  pieces  of  toast  floating 
in  it. 

"  Pretty  drinking,  as  I'm  certain  sure  that  one  and 
all  of  you  will  say,"  foretold  the  host. 

Apples,  however,  rose  again  to  be  first  topic  of  con- 
versation before  this  fine  wassail,  and  Jack  spoke  once 
more. 

"  Time  was,  down  to  the  in  country,  that  on  this 
night  —  or  else  Old  Christman  Eve,  I  forget  which  —  we 
gawks  should  all  have  marched  out  solemn  to  the  or- 
chards and  sung  lucky  songs,  and  poured  out  cider,  and 
fired  our  guns  into  the  branches,  and  made  all-round 
heathen  fools  of  ourselves.  And  why?  Because 'twas 
thought  that  to  do  so  improved  the  next  year's  crop  a 
thousandfold!  And  when  we  remember  that  'twas  no 
further  back  than  our  fathers  that  they  did  such  witless 
things,  it  did  ought  to  make  us  feel  humble,  I'm  sure." 

"  Don't  talk  no  more  about  cider,  drink  it,"  said 
Heathman  Lintern,  who  was  of  the  company. 
"  Drink  it  while  'tis  hot,  and  'twill  warm  your  bones 
and  soften  your  opinions.  You'm  so  peart  to-night 
and  so  sharp  at  the  corners,  that  I  reckon  you've  got 
your  money  back  at  last." 

This  direct  attack  reduced  Mr.  Head  to  a  less 
energetic  and  dogmatic  frame  of  mind. 

"  No,"  he  answered.  "  I  have  not,  and  I  happen 
to  know  that  I  never  shall.  Me  and  the  old  chap 
fell  out,  and  I  dressed  him  down  too  sharp.  I  was 
wrong,  and  I've  since  admitted  it,  for  I'm  the  rare. 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  469 

fearless  sort  that  grant  I'm  wrong  the  first  minute  it 
can  be  proved  against  me.  Though  when  a  man's 
built  on  that  large  pattern,  you  may  be  sure  he  ban't 
wrong  very  often.  'Tis  only  the  peddling,  small 
creatures  that  won't  admit  they're  mistaken  —  out 
of  a  natural  fear  that  if  they  once  allow  it,  they'll 
never  be  thought  right  again.  But  though  he's  for- 
given me,  I've  strained  the  friendship.  So  we  live 
and  learn." 

"  Coode's  had  his  money  again,"  said  the  host  of 
'  The  White  Thorn.' 

"He  has  —  the  drunken  dog?  There's  only  me 
left,"  returned  Jack. 

"  It  wasn't  till  after  he  lost  his  money  that  he  took 
to  swilling,  however,"  declared  the  innkeeper.  "  I 
know  him  well.     The  misfortune  ruined  his  character." 

"  His  daughter's  been  paid  back,  all  the  same," 
said  Lintern.  "She  keeps  his  house,  and  the  old 
boy  gave  the  money  to  her,  to  be  used  or  saved 
according  as  she  thinks   best." 

"  That  leaves  only  me,"  said  Jack. 

"  Me  and  Rupert  was  running  over  the  figures  a  bit 
ago,"  continued  Heathman.  "  We  made  out  that  the 
sporting  old  blade  had  dropped  upwards  of  six  thou- 
sand over  this  job,  and  we  was  wondering  how  much 
that  is  out  of  all  he's  got." 

"  A  fleabite,  I  reckon,"  answered  Head  ;  but  the 
other  doubted  it. 

"  Rupert  says  he  thinks  'tis  pretty  near  half  of  his 
fortune,  if  not  more.  He  goes  shabbier  than  ever, 
and  he  eats  little  better  than  orts  for  his  food." 

"  That's  no  new  thing,"  said  another  man  as  he  held 
a  mug  for  some  more  of  the  hot  cider ;  "  'twas  always 
so,  as  Susan  Hacker  will  tell  you.  My  wife  have 
heard  her  grumbling  off  and  on  these  ten  years  about 
it.     His  food's  poor  and  coarse,  like  his  baccy  and  his 


470  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

cider.  His  clothes  be  kept  on  his  back  till  there  ban't 
enough  of  the  web  left  to  hold  'em  together  any  longer. 
Susan  offered  an  old  coat  to  a  tramp  once,  thinking  to 
get  it  away  afore  Baskerville  missed  it;  and  the  tramp 
looked  it  over  —  through  and  through,  you  might  say 
—  and  he  thanked  Susan  as  saucy  as  you  please,  and 
told  her  that  when  he  was  going  to  set  up  for  a 
mommet^  he'd  let  her  know,  but  'twouldn't  be  yet." 

"  A  strange  old  night-hawk,  and  always  have  been," 
said  Head.  "Not  a  man  —  not  even  me,  though  I 
know  him  best  —  can  measure  him  altogether.  Never 
was  such  a  mixture.  Now  he's  so  good-natured  as  the 
best  stone,  and  you'll  go  gaily  driving  into  him  and 
then,  suddenly,  you'll  strike  flint,  and  get  a  spark  in 
your  eye,  and  wish  to  God  you'd  left  the  man  alone. 
He's  beyond  any  well-balanced  mind  to  understand, 
as  I've  told  him  more  than  once." 

"  Meek  as  Moses  one  minute,  then  all  claws  and 
prickles  the  next  —  so  they  tell  me,"  declared  Abra- 
ham Elford.  "  But  whether  'tis  true  or  not,  I  can't 
say  from  experience,"  he  added,  "  for  the  man  don't 
come  in  here." 

"And  why?"  said  Heathman.  "That's  another 
queer  side  of  him.  I  axed  him  that  same  question, 
and  he  said  because  to  his  eyes  the  place  was  haunted 
by  my  father.  '  I  should  see  Nathan's  long  beard 
wagging  behind  the  bar,'  he  said  to  me,  '  and  I 
couldn't  abide  it.'  " 

"  He's  above  common  men,  no  doubt,"  declared 
another  speaker.  "  We  can  only  leave  him  at  that. 
He's  a  riddle  none  here  will  ever  guess,  and  that's  the 
last  word  about  him." 

Rupert  Baskerville  came  in  at  this  moment  and  saw 
Heathman.  Both  were  in  Dennis  Masterman's  carol 
choir,  and  it  was  time  that  they  gathered  with  the  rest 

1  Mommet  —  scarecrow. 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS 


471 


at  the  vicarage,  for  a  long  round  of  singing  awaited 
them. 

"  A  mild  night  and  the  roads  pretty  passable,"  he 
announced.  "We're  away  in  half  an  hour  wi'  books 
and  lanterns  ;  but  no  musickers  be  coming  with  us, 
like  in  the  good  old  days.  Only  voices  to  carry  it 
off." 

He  stopped  to  drink,  and  the  sight  of  Jack  Head 
reminded  him  of  a  commission. 

"  I  want  you.  Jack,"  he  said.  "  Come  out  in  the 
ope-way  for  half  a  moment." 

They  departed  together,  and  in  a  few  moments  re- 
turned. Rupert  was  laughing,  Mr.  Head  exhibited 
the  liveliest  excitement.  In  one  hand  he  waved  three 
ten-pound  notes ;  with  the  other  he  chinked  some 
gold  and  silver. 

"  Money  !  Money  !  Money,  souls  !  "  he  shouted. 
"  If  that  baggering  old  hero  haven't  paid  me  after  all ! 
Give  it  a  name,  boys,  drinks  round  !  " 

They  congratulated  him  and  liquor  flowed.  Head 
was  full  of  rejoicing.     He  even  exhibited  gratitude. 

"  You  might  say  'twas  no  more  than  justice,"  he 
began;  "but  I  tell  you  he's  more  than  just  —  he's  a 
very  generous  old  man,  and  nobody  can  deny  it,  and 
I  for  one  would  like  to  do  something  to  pay  him 
back." 

"  There's  nought  you  can  do,"  declared  Elford, 
"  but  be  large-minded  about  it,  and  overlook  the 
little  smart  that  always  touches  a  big  mind  when  it's 
asked  to  accept  favours." 

"  Not  a  big  mind,"  corrected  Rupert.  "  Tis  only  a 
small  mind  can't  take  favours.  And  the  thought  of 
giving  that  smart  would  pain  my  uncle,  for  he's  terrible 
tender  and  he's  smarted  all  his  life,  and  knows  what 
'tis  to  feel  so." 

"  Smart  be  damned  !  "  said  Mr.   Head.     "  There's 


472  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

no  smart  about  getting  back  your  own.  I'm  only 
glad  that  he  felt  the  call  to  pay ;  and,  though  I  was 
kept  to  the  last,  I  shan't  quarrel  about  that.  If  Ru- 
pert here,  as  be  his  nephew  and  his  right  hand  by  all 
accounts,  could  hit  on  a  thing  for  us  to  do  that  would 
please  the  man,  then  I  say  us  might  do  it  without 
loss  of  credit.  There's  nobody  has  anything  serious 
against  him,  I  believe,  nowadays,  unless  it  be  Abra- 
ham here,  because  he  never  comes  inside  his  bar." 

The  publican  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"I  can't  quarrel  for  that,"  he  said,  "since  he  goeth 
nowhere  else  either." 

They  considered  the  possible  ways  of  bringing  any 
satisfaction  to  Humphrey  Baskerville,  but  could  hit 
on  no  happy  project.  Head,  indeed,  was  fertile  of 
ideas,  but  Rupert  found  objections  to  all  of  them. 

"  If  us  could  only  do  something  that  meant  a  lot 
of  different  chaps  all  of  one  mind,"  said  Heathman. 
"  The  old  bird  always  thinks  that  the  people  hate  him 
or  laugh  at  him,  and  if  we  could  somehow  work  a 
trick  that  showed  a  score  of  folk  all  meaning  well  to 

him    and   thinking   well   of  him   for   once But 

Lord  knows  what." 

Then  came  an  interruption  in  the  shape  of  Dennis 
Masterman.  He  was  warm  and  somewhat  annoyed. 
He  turned  upon  the  guilty  Rupert  and  Heathman. 

"This  is  too  bad,  you  fellows!"  he  said.  "Here 
we're  all  waiting  and  waiting,  and,  despite  my  express 
wishes,  you  turn  in  to  drink.      I  blame  you  both." 

They  expressed  the  liveliest  regret,  and  Dennis  was 
speedily  mollified  when  he  heard  the  great  argument 
that  had  made  these  men  forget  the  business  of  the  night. 

"  There's  no  time  now,"  he  answered,  "  but  you're 
in  the  right  to  think  of  such  a  thing,  and,  after  Christ- 
mas, I  shall  be  only  too  glad  to  lend  a  hand.  A  very 
admirable  idea,  and  I'm  glad  you've  hit  on  it." 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  473 

"  Just  a  thimbleful  of  my  wassail,  your  honour,  for 
luck,"  said  the  host,  and  Masterman,  protesting,  took 
the  glass  handed  to  him. 

A  sudden  and  violent  explosion  from  Mr.  Head 
made  the  clergyman  nearly  choke  in  the  middle  of  his 
drinking. 

"I've  got  it!"  cried  Jack  so  loudly  that  the  com- 
pany started.  He  slapped  his  leg  at  the  same  moment 
and  then  danced  with  exaggerated  rejoicing. 

"  Got  what?     D.T.'s  ^  "  asked  Heathman. 

"  Go  up  along  to  Hawk  House  !  I  beg  and  pray 
your  reverence  to  go  there  first  of  all,"  urged  Jack. 
"  Surely  'tis  the  very  thing.  'Tis  just  what  we  was 
trying  to  light  upon  —  summat  that  meant  the  show- 
ing of  general  friendship — summat  that  meant  a  bit 
of  trouble  and  thought  taken  for  him  —  all  your 
blessed  Christmas  vartues  put  together  —  goodwill  and 
all  the  rest  of  it.  If  you  was  to  steal  up  through  the 
garden  by  the  greenside  and  then  burst  forth  like  one 
man  —  why,  there  'tis  !  Who  can  deny  'tis  a  noble 
idea  ?  And  you  can  go  and  holler  to  the  quality 
afterwards." 

"  Good  for  you.  Jack  !  "  answered  Rupert.  "  And 
I  say  ditto  with  all  my  heart  if  Mr.  Masterman " 

"  Come,  then,"  interrupted  Dennis.  "  The  night 
will  be  gone  before  we  start.  We'll  go  to  Hawk 
House  right  away.  I  can't  gainsay  such  a  wish, 
though  it's  a  mile  out  of  the  beat  we  had  planned. 
Come  !  " 

The  clergyman,  with  Rupert  Baskerville  and  Heath- 
man  Lintern,  hurried  off,  and  a  few  of  the  younger 
men,  accompanied  by  Jack  Head,  followed  after  them. 

"  I  must  just  pop  in  my  house  and  lock  up  this 
dollop  of  money,"  said  Jack ;  "  then  us'll  go  up  over 
with  the  singers  to  see  how  the  old  Hawk  takes  it. 
He'll  be  scared  first ;  and  then  he'll  try  to  look  as  if 


474  THE   THREE   BROTHERS 

he  was  going  to  fling  brickbats  out  of  the  windows,  or 
set  the  dogs  at  us ;  and  all  the  time  we  shall  very  well 
know  that  he's  bubbling  over  with  surprise  to  find 
what  a  number  of  respectable  people  have  got  to 
thinking    well    of    him." 

The  crowd  of  men  and  boys  moved  on  ahead  of 
Jack  and  his  friends.  The  shrill  cries  and  laughter  of 
the  youngsters  and  a  bass  rumble  of  adult  voices 
wakened  night,  and  a  dozen  lanterns  flashed  among 
the  company  as  they  ascended  into  the  silent  darkness 
of  Dartmoor. 


CHAPTER   XV 

HUMPHREY  BASKERVILLE  had  hoped  that 
his  nephew  might  visit  him  on  Christmas  Eve  ; 
but  he  learned  that  it  was  impossible,  because 
Rupert  had  joined  the  carol-singers,  and  would  be  oc- 
cupied with  them  on  a  wide  circle  of  song. 

After  dark  he  sat  alone  until  near  seven  o'clock ; 
then  Mrs.  Hacker  returned  home  and  they  took  their 
supper  together. 

The  meal  ended,  she  cleared  it  away  and  settled 
to  her  knitting.  Talk  passed  between  them  not  un- 
marked by  sentiment,  for  it  concerned  the  past  and 
related  to  those  changes  the  year  had  brought.  On 
the  following  day  Humphrey  was  to  eat  his  Christ- 
mas dinner  at  Cadworthy,  and  Susan  hoped  to  spend 
the  festival  with  friends  in  Shaugh. 

"I've  got  Heathman  and  his  mother  to  be  of  the 
company,"  said  Mr.  Baskerville.  "  The  daughters 
are  both  about  their  own  business,  and  one  goes  to 
her  sweetheart,  and  Cora's  down  to  Plymouth,  so 
we  shall  escape  from  them  and  no  harm  done.  But 
Heathman  and  his  mother  will  be  there.  They  are 
rather  a  puzzle  to  me,  Susan." 

"  No  doubt,"  she  replied.  "  You'll  go  on  puz- 
zling yourself  over  this  party  or  that  till  you've  puz- 
zled yourself  into  the  workhouse.  Haven't  you  paid 
all  the  creditors  to  the  last  penny  ? " 

"  Not  so,"  he  answered.  "  That's  where  it  lies. 
A  man's  children  and  their  mother  are  his  first 
creditors,  I  should  reckon.  They've  got  first  call 
in  justice,  if  not  in  law.      I  judge  that  there's  a  fine 

475 


476  THE    THREE    BROTHERS 

bit  of   duty  there,  and   the  way  they  look  at  life  — 

so  much  my  own  way  'tis  —  makes  me  feel I 

wrote  to  that  bad  Cora  yesterday.  She's  working 
hard,  I'm  told." 

Susan  sniffed. 

"So  does  the  Devil,"  she  said.  " 'Tis  all  very 
well  for  you,  I  suppose ;  because  when  you  wake 
up  some  morning  and  discover  as  you've  got  nought 
left  in  the  v/orld  but  your  night-shirt,  you'll  go  about 
to  them  you've  befriended  to  seek  for  your  own 
again  —  and  lucky  you'll  be  if  you  find  it,  or  half 
of  it;  but  what  of  me  ?" 

"You'll  never  want,"  he  declared.  "You're  the 
sort  always  to  fall  on  your  feet." 

"  So's  young  Lintern  for  that  matter.  No  need  to 
worry  about  him.  He's  a  lesson,  if  you  like.  The 
man  to  be  contented  whatever  haps." 

"  I  know  it.  I've  marked  it.  I've  learnt  no 
little  from  him.  A  big  heart  and  a  mighty  power 
of  taking  life  as  it  comes  without  fuss.  There's  a 
bad  side  to  it,  however,  as  well  as  a  good.  I've 
worked  that  out.  It's  good  for  a  man  to  be  con- 
tented, but  no  good  for  the  place  he  lives  in.  Con- 
tented people  never  stir  up  things,  or  throw  light 
into  dark  corners,  or  let  air  into  stuffy  places.  Con- 
tent means  stagnation  so  oft  as  not." 

"  They  mind  their  own  business,  however." 

"  They  mostly  do  ;  and  that's  selfish  wisdom  so  oft 
as  not.  Now  Jack  Head's  never  content,  and  never 
will  be." 

"  Don't  name  that  man  on  Christmas  Eve !  "  said 
Mrs.  Hacker  testily.  "  I  hate  to  think  of  him  any 
day  of  the  week,  for  that  matter." 

"  Yet  him  and  the  east  wind  both  be  useful,  little 
as  you  like  'em.  For  my  part,  I've  been  a  neigh- 
bour   to  the    east    wind    all    my    life  and  shared  its 


THE   THREE    BROTHERS  477 

quality  in  the  eyes  of  most  folk  —  till  now.  But  the 
wind  of  God  be  turning  out  of  the  east  for  me, 
Susan." 

"So    long    as  you  be  pleased    with    yourself 

And  as  for  content,  'tisn't  a  vartue,  'tis  an  accident, 
like  red  hair  or  bow  legs.  You  can't  get  it,  nor 
yet  get  away  from  it,  by  taking  thought." 

He  nodded. 

"  You're  in  the  right  there.  One  man  will  make 
more  noise  if  he  scratches  his  finger  than  another  if 
he  breaks  his  leg.  'Tis  part  of  the  build  of  the 
mind,  and  don't  depend  on  chance.  Same  with 
misery  —  that's  a  matter  of  character,  not  condition. 
I  know  men  that  won't  be  wretched  while  they  can 
draw  their  breath ;  and  some  won't  be  happy,  though 
they've  got  thrice  their  share  of  good  fortune.  No 
doubt  that's  how  Providence  levels  up,  and  gives  the 
one  what  he  can't  enjoy,  to  balance  him  with  the  other, 
who's  got  nought,  but  who's  also  got  the  blessed 
power  of  making  happiness  out  of  nought." 

"You've  found  the  middle  way,  I  suppose,"  she 
said ;  "  and,  like  others  who  think  they're  on  the  sure 
road  to  happiness,  you  be  pushing  along  too  fast," 

"  Running  myself  out  of  breath  —  eh  ?  But  you're 
wrong,  I'm  too  cautious  for  that.  If  I'm  a  miser,  as 
the  people  still  think  here  and  there,  then  'tis  for  peace 
I'm  a  miser.  'Twas  always  peace  of  mind  that  I  hun- 
gered and  hankered  for,  yet  went  in  doubt  if  such  a 
thing  there  was.  And  even  now,  though  I  seem  three- 
parts  along  the  road  to  it,  I  feel  a  cold  fear  often 
enough  whether  my  way  will  stand  all  weathers.  It 
may  break  down  yet." 

"  Not  while  your  money  lasts,"  she  answered  with  a 
short  laugh. 

He  followed  his  own  thoughts  in  silence,  and  then 
spoke  aloud  again. 


478  THE    THREE    BROTHERS 

"  Restless  as  the  fox,  and  hungrier  than  ever  he  was. 
Every  man's  hand  against  me,  as  I  thought,  and  mine 
held  out  to  every  man  ;  but  they  wouldn't  see  it. 
None  to  come  to  my  hearth  willingly,  though  'twas 
always  hot  for  'em  ;  none  to  look  into  my  meaning, 
though  that  meaning  was  always  meant  for  kindness. 
But  who  shall  blame  any  living  creature  that  they 
thought  me  an  enemy  and  not  a  friend  ?  How 
should  they  know  ?  Didn't  I  hide  the  scant  good 
that  was  in  me,  more  careful  than  the  bird  her 
nest  ?  " 

"  They  be  up  to  your  tricks  now,  anyway ;  and  I've 
helped  to  show  'em  better,  though  you  may  not  believe 
it,"  declared  Susan.  "  What  a  long-tongued,  well- 
meaning  female  could  do  I've  done  for  you  ;  and  I 
always  shall  say  so." 

"  I  know  that,"  he  said.  "  There's  no  good  thing 
on  earth  than  can't  be  made  better,  but  one  thing. 
And  that's  the  thing  in  all  Christian  minds  this  night 
—  I  mean  the  thing  called  love.  You  know  it  — you 
deal  in  it.  Out  of  your  kind  soul  you've  always  felt 
friendly  to  me,  and  you  saw  what  I  had  the  wish  but 
not  the  power  to  show  to  others ;  and  you've  done 
your  share  of  the  work  to  make  the  people  like  me 
better.  Maybe  'tis  mostly  your  doing,  if  we  could  but 
read  into  the  truth  of  it." 

This  work-a-day  world  must  for  ever  fall  far  short  of 
the  humblest  ethical  ideal,  and  doubtless  even  those  who 
fell  prostrate  at  the  shout  of  their  Thunder  Spirit,  or 
worshipped  the  sun  and  the  sea  in  the  morning  of  days, 
guessed  dimly  how  their  kind  lacked  much  of  perfec- 
tion. To  them  the  brooding  soul  of  humanity  revealed 
the  road,  though  little  knew  those  early  men  the  length 
of  it ;  httle  they  understood  that  the  goal  of  any  fault- 
less standard  must  remain  a  shifting  ideal  within  reach 
of  mind  alone. 


THE   THREE   BROTHERS  479 

At  certain  points  Baslcerville  darkly  suspected  weak 
places  in  this  new  armour  of  light.  While  his  days 
had,  indeed,  achieved  a  consummation  and  orbicular 
completeness  beyond  all  hope ;  while,  looking  back- 
ward, he  could  not  fail  to  contrast  noontide  gloom 
with  sunset  light,  the  fierce  equinox  of  autumn  with 
this  unfolding  period  of  a  gracious  Indian  summer 
now  following  upon  it ;  yet,  even  here,  there  fell  a 
narrow  shadow  of  cloud ;  there  wakened  a  wind  not 
unedged.  In  deep  and  secret  thought  he  had  drifted 
upon  that  negation  of  justice  involved  by  the  Golden 
Rule.  He  saw,  what  every  intellect  worthy  a  name 
must  see  :  that  to  do  as  you  would  be  done  by,  to  with- 
hold the  scourge  from  the  guilty  shoulder,  to  suffer  the 
weed  to  flourish  in  the  garden,  to  shield  our  fellow- 
men  from  the  consequence  of  their  evil  or  folly,  is  to 
put  the  individual  higher  than  society,  and  to  follow  a 
precept  that  ethics  in  evolution  has  long  rejected. 

But  he  shirked  his  dilemma :  he  believed  it  not  nec- 
essary to  pursue  the  paradox  to  its  bitter  end.  The 
Golden  Rule  he  hypostatised  into  a  living  and  an 
omnipresent  creed ;  henceforth  it  was  destined  to  be 
his  criterion  of  every  action  ;  and  to  his  doubting  spirit 
he  replied,  that  if  not  practicable  in  youth,  if  not  con- 
venient for  middle  age,  this  principle  might  most  justly 
direct  the  performance  and  stimulate  the  thought  of 
the  old.  Thus  he  was,  and  knew  himself,  untrue  to 
the  clearer,  colder  conviction  of  his  reasoning  past ; 
but  in  practice  this  defection  brought  a  peace  so  ex- 
alted, a  content  so  steady,  a  recognition  so  precious, 
that  he  rested  his  spirit  upon  it  in  faith  and  sought 
no  further. 

Now  he  retraced  his  time,  and  made  a  brief  and  preg- 
nant summary  thereof  for  Susan's  ear. 

"  'Tis  to  be  spoken  in  a  score  of  words,"  he  said. 
"  My  life  has  been  a  storm  in  a  teacup ;  but  none  the 


48o  THE   THREE    BROTHERS 

less  a  terrible  storm  for  me  until  I  won  the  grace  to  still 
it.  Port  to  the  sailor-man  be  a  blessed  thing  according 
to  the  voyage  that's  gone  afore.  The  worse  that,  the 
better  the  peace  of  the  haven  when  he  comes  to  it." 

She  was  going  to  speak,  but  a  sound  on  the  stillness 
of  night  stopped  her. 

"  Hark  !  "  was  all  she  said. 

Together  they  rose  and  went  to  his  outer  door. 

The  gibbous  moon  sailed  through  a  sky  of  thin  cloud, 
and  light  fell  dimly  upon  the  open  spaces,  but  sparkled 
in  the  great  darkness  of  evergreen  things  about  the  gar- 
den. Earth  rolled  night-hidden  to  the  southern  hills, 
and  its  breast  was  touched  with  sparks  of  flame,  where 
glimmered  those  few  habitations  visible  from  this  place. 
A  lattice  of  naked  boughs  meshed  the  moonlight  under 
the  slope  of  the  hill,  and  from  beneath  their  shadows 
ascended  a  moving  thread  of  men  and  boys.  They 
broke  the  stillness  with  speech  and  laughter,  and  their 
red  lantern-light  struck  to  right  and  left  and  killed  the 
wan  moonshine  as  they  came. 

"  What's  toward  now  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Baskerville,  star- 
ing blankly  before  him. 

"  Why,"  cried  Susan,  "  'tis  the  carol-singers  without 
a  doubt !  They'll  want  an  ocean  of  beer  presently,  and 
where  shall  us  get  it  from  ?  " 

"  Coming  to  me  —  coming  to  sing  to  me .'  "  he  mum- 
bled. "  Good  God,  a  thing  far  beyond  my  utmost 
thought  is  this  !  " 

The  crowd  rolled  clattering  up,  and  the  woman  stayed 
to  welcome  them  ;  but  the  man  ran  back  into  his  house, 
sat  down  in  his  chair,  bent  forward  to  listen  and  clasped 
his  hands  tightly  between  his  knees. 

Acute  emotion  marked  his  countenance ;  but  this 
painful  tension  passed  when  out  of  the  night  there 
rolled  the  melodious  thunder  of  an  ancient  tune. 

"  Singing  for  me  ! "  he  murmured  many  times  while 
the  old  song  throbbed. 


By  EDEN  PHILLPOTTS 

The  Secret  Woman 

By  the  Author  of  "The  American  Prisoner,"  "Knock  at 
A  Venture,"  "Children  of  the  Mist,"  etc. 

"Nothing  could  be  more  tenderly  beautiful  than  the  opening  chapter  of 
this,  Mr.  Phillpotts's  strongest  story.  .  .  .  There  cannot  be  two  opinions  as  to 
the  interest  and  the  power  of  '  The  Secret  Woman.'  It  is  not  only  its  author's 
masterpiece,  but  it  is  far  in  advance  of  anything  he  has  yet  written  —  and  that 
is  to  give  it  higher  praise  than  almost  any  other  comparison  with  contempo- 
rary fiction  could  afford." —  The  Times'  Saturday  Review  (New  York). 

"  One  lays  down  Eden  Phillpotts's  '  The  Secret  Woman '  with  a  conviction 
that  it  is  not  only  the  best  novel  he  has  written,  but  also  one  of  the  greatest 
novels  of  the  decade  .  .  .  close-knit,  full  of  human  nature,  throbbing  with 
passion,  alive  with  thought  and  action.  .  .  .  The  drama  maintains  its  intense 
interest  through  every  change  to  the  exciting  close."  —  The  Record-Herald 
(Chicago). 

"  'The  Secret  Woman'  shows  a  delicacy,  an  understanding,  and  a  strength 
which  mark  the  author  for  the  highest  rank." —  The  AthencEum  (London). 

"'The  Secret  Woman'  is  a  work  of  fiction  to  be  judged  by  the  standards 
of  the  best  of  its  kind  ...  a  genuine  book  about  men  and  women  who  really 
live  and  love  and  suffer  in  its  pages.  .  .  .  To  read  it  without  absorbed  inter- 
est is  impossible."  —  The  Press  (Philadelphia). 

"Sombre,  passionate,  intensely  and  poignantly  dramatic,  'The  Secret 
Woman '  is  by  far  the  finest  novel  that  Mr.  Phillpotts  has  yet  given  us,  and  to 
say  this  is  to  say  a  good  deal.  We  do  not  hesitate  to  declare  that  the  last 
decade  has  produced,  so  far  as  our  knowledge  extends,  only  one  English  novel 
of  equal  power  and  impressiveness." — East  Anglian  Times  (London). 

"A  book  of  unusual  power  and  passion  —  by  far  the  best  work  in  fiction 
that  Mr.  Phillpotts  has  put  forth  within  the  past  two  or  three  years;  ...  its 
tense  hold  on  the  sympathy  never  relaxes;  and  .  .  .  all  together  the  situation 
is  as  strange  as  it  is  compelling  in  its  force,  and  it  is  handled  with  skill  and 
vigor.     In  all,  this  is  a  grim  but  forceful  romance."  —  The  Outlook  (New  York). 


THE   MACMILLAN   COMPANY 

Publishers  64-66  Fifth  Avenue  New  York 


By  EDEN  PHILLPOTTS 
The  American  Prisoner 

A  Romance  of  the  West  Country  by  the  Author  of 
"The  Secret  Woman,"  etc. 

"Fresh,  pure,  strong,  exciting,  with  vigorous  characters  and  with  both 
energy  and  elevation  of  style,  'The  American  Prisoner'  will,  no  doubt, 
command  and  keep  a  high  place  among  the  novels  of  the  year,"  —  New 
York  Ti?>ies. 

"'The  American  Prisoner'  is  a  romance  of  the  west  of  England  —  the 
Dartmoor  country  —  in  the  troublous  times  of  1812.  British  ships  of 
war  swept  the  seas;  British  arms  clashed  on  the  continent  and  on  the 
borders  of  the  American  Republic,  and  the  thirty-acre  enclosure  of  the 
war  prison  on  the  Dartmoor  heath  was  populous  with  prisoners.  ...  It 
is  a  tale  of  absorbing  interest  and  high  literary  quality,  in  which  strong 
situations  and  startling  surprises  confront  the  reader  at  every  turn."  — 
North  American  (Philadelphia). 

Knock  at  a  Venture 

By  the  Author  of  "The  Secret  Woman,'^  etc. 

"  It  is  as  if  Mr.  Phillpotts  had  given  us  in  one  volume  the  cream  of  his 
inimitable  sketches  of  the  rustic  life  of  Devon,  rich  with  racy,  quaint, 
and  humorous  touches."  —  Evening  Telegraph  (Philadelphia). 
"  First-rate  stories  .  .  .  with  the  same  union  of  strength,  passion,  and 
poetic  tenderness  that  have  made  the  fame  of  his  novels."  —  Record- 
Herald  (Chicago) . 

Cloth     izmo     $1.50 

The  Portreeve 

"Certainly,  as  we  have  remarked  before,  Mr.  Phillpotts  comes  nearer 
than  any  one  else  to  being  the  legitimate  successor  of  Mr.  Hardy  as  a 
rustic  realist." —  The  Dial  (Chicago). 

"  Undoubtedly  the  best  work  Mr.  Phillpotts  has  done  so  far."  —  New 
York  Times. 

Cloth     i2mo     $1.50 


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Publishers  64-66  Fifth  Avenue  New  York 


Mr.  ROBERT  HERRICK'S  NOVELS 


Cloth,  extra,  gilt  tops,  each  $1.50 


The  Gospel  of  Freedom 

"  A  novel  that  may  truly  be  called  the  greatest  study  of  social  life,  in  a 
broad  and  very  much  up-to-date  sense,  that  has  ever  been  contributed 
to  American  fiction."  —  Chicago  Inter-  Ocean, 

The  Web  of  Life 

"  It  is  strong  in  that  it  faithfully  depicts  many  phases  of  American  life, 
and  uses  them  to  strengthen  a  web  of  fiction,  which  is  most  artistically 
wrought  out."  —  Buffalo  Express. 

Jock  o*  Dreams,  or  The  Real  World 

"The  title  of  the  book  has  a  subtle  intention.  It  indicates,  and  is  true 
to  the  verities  in  doing  so,  the  strange  dreamlike  quality  of  life  to  the 
man  who  has  not  yet  fought  his  own  battles,  or  come  into  conscious  pos- 
session of  his  will  —  only  such  battles  bite  into  the  consciousness."  — 
Chicago  Tribune. 

The  Common  Lot 

"  It  grips  the  reader  tremendously.  ...  It  is  the  drama  of  a  human 
soul  the  reader  watches  .  .  .  the  finest  study  of  human  motive  that  has 
appeared  for  many  a  day."  —  The  World  To-day. 

The   Memoirs   of  an   American   Citizen,     illustrated 

with  about  fifty  drawings  by  F.   B.   Masters. 

"  Mr.  Herrick's  book  is  a  book  among  many,  and  he  comes  nearer  to 
reflecting  a  certain  kind  of  recognizable,  contemporaneous  American 
spirit  than  anybody  has  yet  done." — New  York  Times. 
"  Intensely  absorbing  as  a  story,  it  is  also  a  crisp,  vigorous  document  of 
startling  significance.  More  than  any  other  writer  to-day  he  is  giving  us 
ihe  American  novel."  —  A/ew  York  Globe. 


Together 


"  The  thing  is  straight  from  life.  .  .  .     The  spirit  of  the  book  is  in  the 
end  bracing  and  quickening."  —  Chicago  Evening  Post. 
"An  able  book,  remarkably  so,  and  one  which  should  find  a  place  in  the 
library  of  any  woman  who  is  not  a  fool."  —  A'ew  York  American. 


THE   MACMILLAN   COMPANY 

Publishers  64-66  Fifth  Avenue  New  York 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 

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